Propaganda is a set of the messages intended to influence opinions of the masses, not

giving the opponents any opportunity to rebut the idea. Instead of telling people the
truth, propaganda often aims at manipulation of ideas to influence the behavior of a
large number of people. So, it presents ideas selectively. Propaganda is related to
advertising, where it is about promoting a product. It is also used to influence religious
beliefs of society.

During the 20th century, the term propaganda acquired a negative meaning in the
western countries. It meant, a deliberate dissemination of frequently false, but
'obligating' justifications of certain political ideologies. The propagandist seeks to alter
the way people understand an issue in favor of the interest group.

The five types of propaganda techniques used in advertising are Bandwagon,

Testimonial, Transfer, Repetition, and Emotional words.
 Bandwagon: It aims at persuading people to do a certain thing because many other
people are doing it. An example can be a soft drink advertisement wherein a large group
of people is shown drinking the same soft drink. People feel induced to opt for that drink
as it is shown to be consumed by many. Snob appeal is the reverse of bandwagon. It
indicates that buying a certain product will make you stand out from the rest, as the
masses won't afford to buy it.
 Testimonial: This propaganda technique uses words of an expert or a famous person
to promote a particular idea. For example, a sportsperson is shown recommending a
brand of shoes. Generally, people idealize celebrated figures. So celebrities are used to
advertise certain products. A testimonial has to be reasonable. Advertisers are
cautioned not to use false testimonials, as they lack authenticity.
 Transfer: In this technique, qualities of a well-known person are associated with a
product to promote or demote it. Linking an item to a respected person is positive
transfer. Creating an analogy between a disliked person and a product is negative
transfer. It is also used during war times.
 Repetition: It is when the product name is repeated many times during an
advertisement. This technique may use a jingle, which is appealing to the masses and
fits in their minds.
 Emotional words: This is meant to generate positive feelings in the minds of the
masses. Words like 'luxury' or 'paradise' are used to evoke certain feelings in the minds
of the people, which they associate with the product.
Glittering generalities is another important technique of propaganda. Generalities are
logical fallacies. They are often vague but positive ideas. An example could be, "It's
cool!" What is cool is not specified. It implies the use of appealing words giving no
concrete idea of what the words are talking about.

Name-calling, also called stereotyping or labeling is another propaganda technique.

Direct name-calling is a direct attack on an opponent. If it is likely to annoy the
audience, indirect name-calling is used. In this case, sarcasm is employed. Cartoons
and photographs are used in name-calling. This technique is often used in politics.

In the 'Plain Folks' propaganda technique, common people are attracted on the basis of
their common values. The current vernacular of the target audience is used. Scholastic
speech seems artificial. So errors are made on purpose to give the feeling of
spontaneity. 'Homey' words, as they are called, are used, so that the audience can
connect to the propagandist. 'It's Morning in America' is an example of the 'Plain folks'
strategy. This technique is used with glittering generalities.

'Quotes out of Context' is a technique of selectively changing quotes to change

meanings. It is used in political documentaries. The 'Half truth' technique makes use of
a deceptive statement. Double meaning may be used to misinterpret a truth. 'Card
stacking' is another propaganda technique, where information is manipulated to make a
product appear better. Only the facts in favor of the propagandist are used. The
advertisement of comparison between Apple Macintosh and Windows computers is an
example of card stacking. The success of this technique lies in the choice of facts or
cards and the way they are stacked by the propagandist.

'Black and White fallacy' aims at presenting only two choices to the public. At times,
direct order is used whereby decision-making of the audience is simplified by telling
them the steps they need to take. On the other hand, 'Unstated assumption' is used
when the propagandist does not want to state the concept explicitly. Here the concept is
repeatedly implied.

The technique of demonizing the enemy, makes the people with an opposing
standpoint, appear inferior. The use of the term 'gooks' for NLF soldiers during the
Vietnam War-era is an example of this type of propaganda. Obtaining disapproval is
another technique of obtaining disfavor of an idea by signifying that it is of the 'hated lot'
of the society.

Children are most vulnerable to different types of propaganda techniques. They cannot
reason to decide whether a message is propaganda or not. They are highly fascinated
by the media and influenced by the behavior of their peers. They assimilate propaganda
promiscuously. Actually, most of us, at many points of time fall prey to propagandists
and are tempted to do the things they suggest us to.

Bandwagon Example from Novel

An example of the bandwagon form of propaganda in the novel is when Winston shouts
during the Two Minutes Hate because everybody else is shouting. This is an example of
bandwagon because Winston only joins in the shouting towards Goldstein because
others are shouting at him. Winston feels that it is necessary to do what the other
citizens do in order not to stand out.
Example of Bandwagon Propaganda: Sony trying to persuade customers to buy the
new PS4 buying saying that everybody will be getting one.
Example of Testimonial Propaganda
Dale Earnhardt Jr. telling you that you should drink Mountain Dew because he drinks it.
Testimonial Example from Novel
Big Brothers words of encouragement after Goldstein's speech during the Two Minutes
Hate is an example of testimonial propaganda. This is an example of testimonial
propaganda because Big Brother is encouraging them to belief that all that Goldstein
has said is a lie and that he will protect them.
Example of Transfer Propaganda
An advertisement showing Shaq playing basketball and using Icy Hots for his sore
muscles after the game is over. This is used in hope that his popularity and the fact that
he uses Icy Hots helps the company gain sells of Icy Hots because of his popularity
Transfer Example from Novel
An example of the transfer form of propaganda is the Party saying that the citizens of
Oceania should hate Goldstein because he stands against Big Brother and his beliefs.
This is an example of transfer propaganda because the party is saying that Goldstein is
standing up against Big Brother and that Big Brother doesn't belief in Goldstein's ideals
so they should hate Goldstein. The party persuades the citizens to hate Goldstein by
saying that their beloved leader hates him.
Example of Repetition Propaganda
A teenager continuously asking their parents if they can have a puppy.
Repetition Example from Novel
Winston continuously being told that two plus two equals five when he beliefs it equals
four. Eventually this leads Winston to believe that two plus two equals five. This
example is Repetition propaganda because Winston was continuously told that two plus
two equals five until he himself started to believe it.
Example of Emotional Words Propaganda
A jewelry store talking about how elegant and beautiful that their diamonds are.
Emotional Words Example from Novel
Winston describing the heroics and bravery displayed by comrade Ogilvy. This is an
example of emotional words propaganda because Winston writes about Ogilvy's
bravery and how he sacrificed his life to save his fellow soldiers. The propaganda is
designed to give the citizens of Oceania a strong sense of pride in comrade Ogilvy's
actions