Chapter 10

Common Advertising Appeals: In American society, we see approximately 3000 advertisements daily. There are many common portals that display advertisements constantly, from television to radio to the internet. However, even when we are avoiding advertising, we are still being sold to. Think about the billboards on the walk to work, people’s bumper stickers, the logos on your friends t-shirts. In chapter 10, we learned that there are common advertising appeals: emotional , humor, guilt, isolation, and sex. What advertising appeal is the most effective, and the most used on American audiences?

Advertising and Children: Chapter 10 claims that “studies reveal that advertising makes kids more materialistic…[and] that commercials play significant roles in the lives of children”. Although not outwardly stated, it appears that the authors believe that this is a negative aspect of persuasive advertising. However, since we do live in a highly consumerist society, is it necessary for children to be susceptible to advertising? Could our society function without advertising, especially to children, since they are the next generation of buyers? And if it could function, what would it take to make significant changes or is it a “necessary evil” that can’t be eliminated from society as we know it? Page 304 of the book brings up recommendations of guidelines to limit children’s advertising intake. Once kids reach an age where their parents can’t control how much advertising their children intake, does the fact that they weren’t shown advertising in their early years make a significant, if any, difference?

NFL sponsorships as a case-study: Football season began again this falls, and with that came the many advertisements that sponsor the NFL. In fact, there are about 130 companies that are official sponsors. The companies sell a wide variety of products to a many different audiences. Three companies that exhibit this variety are: Coors Brewing Co., Getty Images, and Specialty Board Games. Of course, one would expect to see Coors on the list, but what about the other sponsors? One reason for this spectrum of sponsors is obviously to reach the maximum amount of viewers and cover all of the bases when it comes to audiences, as well as to enhance credibility and message accountability. How effective is this strategy? Do sponsors of the NFL raise make more money during football season, and do they gain more committed customers? Does it make a difference and catch interest, especially to audiences who are interested in particular products, but not interested in football or sports in general?