ADVERTISING CLAIMS
| Name |
Description |
Example |
|
Testimonial |
The endorsement of a product by a well-known
person or organisation |
"Joe Hockey uses Face Power aftershave lotion" |
|
Transfer |
The transfer of the qualities of one idea to those of another |
"Smoke Mint Fresh and get a breath of springtime." |
|
Plain folks |
The technique of talking down to the masses in order to appear to be one of them. |
"Use Whitewash. It makes your clothes as white
as Momma used to wash them." |
|
Bandwagon |
The
suggestion that everyone is doing it.
|
"Sparkle! Canada's #1 best-seller" |
|
Snob
appeal |
The association of a desirable life. |
"She lives in Oakville.
She spends her winters in the Swiss
Alps. She drives a Mercmobile. Her
perfume - TUSK." |
| Fads
and Figures |
The implication that
figures and statistics
|
"No-ache Pills - the only headache tablet with
30 mg of pain reliever |
|
Hidden
fears |
The exploitation of an individual's fears and insecurities |
"Don't lose friends. Use Sweet-Pit the friendly
deodorant" |
|
Repetition |
The constant statement of an idea in order to fix the
image of a product in a person's mind |
"Finally - Natural Glow! The natural shampoo with
nature's ingredients to bring out the natural glow in you." |
|
Magic
ingredients |
The implication that a product's effectiveness is scientifically
based |
"Drink Eau-Boire, the mineral water with H20." |
| Weasel
words |
The use of vague qualifiers or disclaimers, such as
"helps'; "fights'; ""up to", and "Virtually"
to mislead the consumer into thinking the product is better than
it really is |
"Use Zit-Kwit the only skin medicine that helps
fight virtually all skin blemishes." |
Based on
Jeffrey Schrank,
"The Language of Advertising Claims", Media and Methods
http://home.olemiss.edu/~egjbp/comp/ad-claims.html