Hayley Southard

Introduction to Media Advertising

Social and Ethical Aspects of Advertising

My Topic Choice: Advertising Affects Happiness and General Well-Being

My position is Pro: Advertising Addresses a Wide Variety of Basic Human Needs

Summary of My Topic and My Opinion

The book says Abraham Maslow, a founding father in the research of human motivation,

discovered the different types of needs that affect human behavior. The types of needs, in order,

include physiological, safety, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization.

Physiological needs refer to the genetic needs that affect appetite, dehydration, and other

bodily functions. Safety needs are the desire for accommodations as well as sustaining a

sheltered and relaxed survival. Love and belonging needs is the need for attachment and care.

The idea that a person will thrive off giving and receiving adoration. Esteem needs focuses on

the need for acknowledgement, station, and reputation as well as valuing others and a yearning

for self-respect. Finally, self-actualization needs cover the needs for extreme satisfaction of one’s

capabilities. This is the main basic need and according to Maslow, very few people manage to be

granted self-actualization.

Maslow was saying that humans can achieve good actions and services in order to fulfill

their own personal needs. Some products claim to solve the necessities of the single or multiple

needs of an individual. Consumers purchase goods that they believe meet the requests of each

need type. Searching for educational opportunities and luxurious events can lead to emotions

related to self-actualization, even though it’s the most difficult need to please. The need to live as

a human and advertise motivational products deal with the following of inspiration.
 I think that this is an interesting way of thinking. Even though these needs are all

essential to human live, some are more important than others. An example would be that

physiological and safety needs are more important to a human’s survival than the esteem or love

and belonging needs. Self-actualization needs refers more to being an overall nice person.

Physiological needs are the needs that should be met to take care of your health whereas safety

needs refer to the protection of a person’s living environment. Esteem needs is more like dignity

and the desire to feel important and can mention a person’s class (from rich to working class)

while love and belonging needs is something everyone wants, though few manage to find it and

retain it.

Batman Dark Knight – Got Milk? (2000)

I chose this ad because it shows a photo of Batman with Gotham city in the background

at night with Batman’s signal being shown in the sky and it has a muscular Batman holding a

glass of chocolate milk. The book says “Food and health care products are associated with

physiological needs” (Advertising and Integrated Brand Promotion: Seventh Edition , 82). My ad

says “Be a Dark Knight” and “Chocolate milk has the same nutrients as normal milk, so drink

up”, therefore I believe that this ad supports my position because it covers the physiological

needs of a person in that the advertiser is chocolate milk and milk solves thirst. It also focuses on

esteem needs of a person because the celebrity in the ad is Batman or Bruce Wayne also known

as Batman, who is seen as a rich and pristine character that represents status and demands

respect.

The ad is indicating that if you drink chocolate milk, you will become strong and rich like

Batman. The ad agency services aren’t specifically named, but if I were to guess, it would be

grouped under direct marketing and promotion services and the external facilitators would be
under either marketing and advertising research firms or other communications organizations.

Under media organizations, this ad would be under print media and internet portals with a target

audience pertaining to everyone, specifically to children. The visuals are Batman holding a glass

of chocolate milk indicating that he drinks chocolate milk and chocolate milk will solve your

physiological need to quench your thirst and therefore supports my decision.

Elton John – Got Milk? (2000)

I chose this ad because it shows a photo of Elton John and it has a lyric from one of his

songs as part of the ad. The book says “Food and health care products are associated with

physiological needs” (Advertising and Integrated Brand Promotion: Seventh Edition , 82). My ad

says “I’m still standing” and “Drinking enough low-fat milk now can help prevent osteoporosis

later”, therefore I believe that this ad supports my position because it covers the physiological

needs of a person in that the advertiser is low-fat milk and milk solves thirst. It also focuses on

esteem needs of a person because the celebrity in the ad is Elton John, who is seen as a famous

songwriter that represents the need for recognition and respect of others.

The ad is indicating that if you drink low-fat milk, you will become famous and respected

like Elton John. The ad agency services aren’t specifically named, but if I were to guess, it would

be grouped under direct marketing and promotion services and the external facilitators would be

under either marketing and advertising research firms or other communications organizations.

Under media organizations, this ad would be under print media and internet portals with a target

audience pertaining to everyone, specifically to people who wish to stay healthy. The visuals are

Elton John playing a white piano in either a dairy factory or doctor’s office indicating that low-

fat milk will help prevent osteoporosis as well as solve your physiological need to quench your

thirst and therefore supports my decision.

Toys R US – Marvel Model Kits (2001)
I chose this ad because it shows small kits of different Marvel super hero characters and it

has model rocket sets in their packages. The book says “Many products are said to directly

address the requirements of one or more of the need states” and “Although it may be difficult to

by self-actualization, educational pursuits and high-intensity leisure activities can certainly foster

feelings of pride and accomplishment that contribute to self-actualization”. It also says “the need

to exists as human motivation and advertised products offer a means to pursue that motivation.”

(Advertising and Integrated Brand Promotion: Seventh Edition , 82) My ad says “Ready-to-fly

millennium series flying model rocket sets” and “highly detailed easy-to-assemble model kits of

your favorite Marvel characters”, therefore I believe that this ad supports my position because it

covers the self-actualization needs of a person in that the advertiser is Toys R US and the

assembling of the toy kits can allow for the development of self-satisfaction and achievement. It

also focuses on esteem needs of a person because the toys in the ad is are based on Marvel

characters and if you can afford the toy, you can be seen as a rich and pristine which represents

status and demands respect compared to those who cannot afford the toy and are barely trying to

survive.

The ad is indicating that the kits are easy to assemble and if you buy it, you will achieve a

sense of self-actualization, which is difficult to accomplish. The ad agency services aren’t

specifically named, but if I were to guess, it would be grouped under direct marketing and

promotion services and the external facilitators would be under either marketing and advertising

research firms or other communications organizations. Under media organizations, this ad would

be under print media and internet portals with a target audience pertaining specifically to

children. The visuals are the two different types of kits, one for a model rocket and one for
Marvel characters, indicating that the kits are easily assembled and building a kit, either of a

rocket or a Marvel character kit, will solve both your esteem and self-actualization need to prove

rank, respect, superiority, and success and therefore supports my decision.

Works Cited
Chris T. Allen, Thomas Clayton O'Guinn, etc. Advertising and Integrated Brand Promotion:
Seventh Edition. Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning, 2012, 2015.
Vintage Ad Browser: Comic Book Ads of the 2000s. 2000. 9 October 2017.
<http://www.vintageadbrowser.com/comic-books-ads-2000s>.
Vintage Ad Browser: Music Advertisements of the 2000s. 2000. 9 October 2017.
<http://www.vintageadbrowser.com/music-ads-2000s>.
Above: Batman Dark Knight – Got Milk? (2000)
Above: Elton John – Got Milk? (2000)
Above: Toys R US – Marvel Model Kits (2001)