TYPES OF

PROPAGANDA
What is propaganda?
It’s the spreading of information intended to influence public opinion.
And when it comes to advertising, these messages are often used to
leverage emotion and convince us to buy something.
 1.BANDWAGON

HAVE YOU EVER LISTENED TO A FRIEND

RAVING ABOUT HOW GREAT A CERTAIN
PRODUCT IS, ONLY TO END UP BUYING THE
SAME THING? THIS IS THE POWER OF THE
BANDWAGON TECHNIQUE IN ADVERTISING.

IT PLAYS ON OUR NEED TO FIT IN AND BE

ACCEPTED, BY ENCOURAGING US TO JOIN THE
CROWD AND DO WHAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE
DOING.

THE WAY THIS PLAYS OUT IN ADVERTISING IS

SIMPLE, SHOW HAPPY AND SUCCESSFUL
PEOPLE USING A PRODUCT AS THOUGH
EVERYONE ELSE ALSO USES IT. THIS CREATES
A SENSE OF URGENCY AND PRESSURE TO
CONFORM, ENTICING VIEWERS TO MAKE THE
SAME CHOICE.

IT’S NOT JUST PRODUCTS THAT THIS IS USED

FOR POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS ALSO USE IT TO
RALLY SUPPORT FOR THEIR CAUSE.

WHEN YOU ENCOUNTER A BANDWAGON AD,

TAKE NOTE OF WHO OR WHAT THEY’RE
TARGETING – IT USUALLY ISN’T THE MOST
INFORMED OR ANALYTICAL AUDIENCE!
INSTEAD OF FOLLOWING SUIT BLINDLY, TAKE
SOME TIME TO LOOK INTO AND WEIGH UP
THE MERITS OF ANY PROPOSED SOLUTION
YOURSELF.
 2.CARD STACKING
CARDS
CARD STACKING IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON
PROPAGANDA TECHNIQUES USED IN ADVERTISING
AND MANIPULATION OF PUBLIC OPINION. IT WORKS
BY SHOWCASING ONLY THE INFORMATION THAT
SUPPORTS A CERTAIN POINT OF VIEW WHILE
IGNORING, OMITTING, OR EVEN HIDING ANY
INFORMATION THAT COULD CONTRADICT THEIR
MESSAGE.

FOR EXAMPLE, LET’S SAY YOU’RE TRYING TO

CONVINCE SOMEONE TO BUY A SPECIFIC PRODUCT.
YOU DECIDE TO USE CARD STACKING AND FOCUS ONLY
ON THE POSITIVE ASPECTS OF THAT PRODUCT WHILE
IGNORING ANY NEGATIVE FEATURES OR REVIEWS
FROM OTHER CUSTOMERS
 3.GLITTERING
GENERALITIES
WHAT DO WE MEAN BY GLITTERING GENERALITY?

IT’S A TYPE OF PROPAGANDA TECHNIQUE THAT RELIES ON THE USE

OF BROAD, VAGUE WORDS AND PHRASES IN ORDER TO EVOKE
POSITIVE EMOTIONS AND ASSOCIATIONS.

FOR EXAMPLE, A COMPANY MIGHT USE THE PHRASE “RESPECTING

NATURE” TO DESCRIBE ITS COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY,
WHEN IN REALITY THE COMPANY’S COMMITMENT IS MINIMAL.

THIS TYPE OF PROPAGANDA IS USED EXTENSIVELY BY POLITICIANS

AND LARGE COMPANIES TO MARKET THEIR MESSAGE, THEY WANT
YOU TO MAKE AN EMOTIONAL CONNECTION WITH THEIR CAUSE OR
PRODUCT BEFORE KNOWING ALL THE FACTS.
 4.NAME
CALLING
PROPAGANDA

NAME CALLING IS ONE OF THE OLDEST PROPAGANDA TECHNIQUES IN

THE BOOK, AND IT’S STILL USED IN ADVERTISING TODAY. NAME
CALLING IS WHEN YOU CALL SOMETHING OR SOMEONE BY A NEGATIVE
NAME IN ORDER TO MAKE THEM LOOK BAD.

IT’S A TECHNIQUE USED TO MAKE A GENERALISATION ABOUT

SOMETHING OR SOMEONE WITHOUT FACTS OR DATA TO BACK IT UP.

SAY YOU WANT TO CONVINCE SOMEONE THAT A CERTAIN PRODUCT

OR SERVICE IS BAD, YOU MIGHT RESORT TO NAME CALLING AND SAY
THAT A PARTICULAR PERSON OR COMPANY IS “CROOKED” OR
“DISHONEST,” EVEN THOUGH THERE’S NO PROOF.
 5.PLAIN
FOLKS
ONE OF THE OLDEST PROPAGANDA TECHNIQUES USED IN
ADVERTISING IS THE USE OF THE PLAIN FOLKS TECHNIQUE.
THIS TECHNIQUE IS USED WHEN AN ADVERTISER WANTS TO
PROVE IT’S IN TOUCH WITH THE COMMON PERSON.

IT MIGHT PORTRAY A CELEBRITY AS SOMEONE JUST LIKE YOU,

OR IT MIGHT FEATURE AN ENTHUSIASTIC SATISFIED
CUSTOMER. THIS TYPE OF ADVERTISING SETS UP A
CONNECTION BETWEEN THE AVERAGE PERSON AND A
PRODUCT, SERVICE, OR COMPANY.

THE BASIC PREMISE OF THIS TECHNIQUE IS TO MAKE PEOPLE

FEEL LIKE THEY BELONG OR THAT THEY ARE PART OF
SOMETHING BIGGER. IT ALSO ALLOWS BRANDS TO ESTABLISH
TRUST AND CREDIBILITY WITH POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS.
 6. STEREOTYPE

HAVE YOU SEEN ANY COMMERCIALS OR ADS THAT

STEREOTYPE A PARTICULAR DEMOGRAPHIC?
STEREOTYPING IS A COMMONLY USED DEVICE IN
ADVERTISING, AND IT’S ALL ABOUT USING
OVERSIMPLIFIED IDEAS, IMAGES OR IDEAS TO STIR UP A
CERTAIN KIND OF REACTION FROM VIEWERS.

THE IDEA BEHIND STEREOTYPING IS TO LINK THE

TARGETED DEMOGRAPHIC TO CERTAIN
CHARACTERISTICS OR TRAITS, SUCH AS “WOMEN ARE
BAD DRIVERS” OR “ALL TEENAGERS ARE REBELLIOUS.”
THIS TECHNIQUE IS PARTICULARLY EFFECTIVE WHEN IT
CAPITALISES ON EXISTING BIASES AND PREJUDICES IN
SOCIETY.
 7.TESTIMONIAL

TESTIMONIALS ARE THOSE PERSONAL STORIES THAT YOU

HEAR IN COMMERCIALS, ALL THOSE TV ADS THAT FEATURE
SATISFIED CUSTOMERS, WHO’VE GIVEN THEIR STAMP OF
APPROVAL FOR THE PRODUCT.

THE WHOLE IDEA HERE IS TO GET YOU TO TRUST WHAT

OTHER PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT THE PRODUCT, SO IT
LOOKS LIKE A GOOD CHOICE FOR YOU TOO. IT’S A WAY OF
INFLUENCING PUBLIC OPINION, BY PLAYING ON EMOTIONS
AND CREATING AN EMOTIONAL CONNECTION WITH THE
CUSTOMER.