Advertising doesn't have a
reputation for being the most honest
profession.
While most people know that
banner ads from companies you've
never heard of that promise to
melt away "20 pounds in a week,
no exercise required!" should be taken
with a grain of salt, some huge
and highly respected brands are also
guilty of telling their consumers
major lies to make sales.
You'd have to be pretty
dumb to believe some of them.
Skechers once claimed that by simply
putting on a pair of their
shoes you'd magically get buns
of steel. Others went so far as
to cite fake studies to prove
their false selling points.
Advertising gives useful information about which products to buy. But modern advertising does
more than give news about products and services. Today's advertisements, or ads, try to get consumers to buy certain brands.Writers of advertisements are so skillful they can sometimes persuade a consumer to wear a certain kind of clothing, eat a special kind of cereal, or see a movie. Consumers might neyer even want a product if they did not see or hear advertisements for it.
For example, you probably do not need the newest cereal in the supermarket. There are probably many cereal brands on your kitchen shelves. You may not have space on a shelf for another. But if you see ads about a new cereal that is extra-tasty and has a free prize in the box, you may want it.
Advertising must get attention. To be effective, it must be exciting, entertaining, or provide some pleasure. The secret of writing good advertising copy is to offer a good idea as well as a product. The idea is what the ad is really selling.One example is an ad that says eating a cereal will make a person do well in sports. That cereal brand may sell better if consumers think it offers strength and energy.
Advertisements are everywhere. In the streets, in our homes, even in elevators and public toilets. The idea is simple, tell someone something long enough and they will believe it. Since companies learnt this fact it seems where ever we go we can always see advertisements, it's virtually impossible to escape them. But it doesn't just stop there. Repetition is not enough, they also need to get you hooked on the product/service so what they do is they create a motto or a jingle that you are bound to repeat at some point or another. Companies are getting smatter and the public are getting hooked more and more easily. I wouldn't be suprised if one day they will advertise to us in our sleep!