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TYPES OF PROPAGANDA

Card-Stacking
 In such an advertisement, an advertiser omits any information that may
affect their image negatively and includes just that information which
will lure you into the trap.
Ok, we might have made it sound a little too grim.
But it is true – they do essentially influence you to buy the product or
service based on the information they have presented you with. How?
They make the product appear a lot more attractive than it actually is.
They also make the product seem more attractive than similar ones in the
market.
Card-Stacking Example:
This ad uses stats to portray why the
product is healthy. It implies that Sun Chips
are better than ‘regular chips’ because they
contain 30% less fat than said chips.
But what if the amount of fat in regular
chips is so high that 30% less is still very
dangerous for you?
You won’t go and check the nutritional
value on the back of the packet – the ad will
have convinced you to buy the product and
potentially cause harm to your body.
Name-Calling
Name-calling advertising is the most common between
two brands that are similar, well-known, and have a loyal
fan base. Understandably, they need to lure consumers
from the other side to their side.
Some examples include Coca Cola and Pepsi,
McDonald’s and Burger King, and so on.
So how exactly does an advertiser influence you with
name-calling propaganda without portraying themselves
as harsh and mean?
Let’s look at a few ads so you can understand better.
Name-Calling Example:

This is quite self-explanatory. Although the name of the rival brand (McDonald’s)
is not found anywhere in the ad, their signature Big Mac box has been used.
And the message is clear: The Whopper is so big that it can’t fit into the box that
holds the Big Mac. So basically, you are getting a bigger burger than the famous
Big Mac.
Bandwagon
Did you ever get bangs because all your friends were getting them? Even
though you knew they won’t look so great on you?
Or you must have agreed that a certain teacher was awful because the
entire class thought so, even if you thought you learned a lot from them.
That is the mentality this kind of propaganda aims to exploit.
Advertisers know that it is human nature to not want to be the one left
out. They know that if they convince you that everyone else is buying
their product or using their service, you will want to ‘jump on the
bandwagon’ too.
Bandwagon
Example:
After all, if they’ve served 99 billion, there
must be something special there, right? And
who would want to miss out on that? So
instead of just driving past and honoring the
no-fast-food promise you made to yourself,
you stop and grab a meal on your way home.
A million of your countrymen have tried
toothpastes by this brand (this advertisement
is obviously targeted towards Australians).
Don’t you feel left out?
Well, if you hadn’t before, you do after you
see this ad. And an Oral-B toothpaste finds its
place in your shopping cart on your next
grocery trip.
Testimonial
If a dentist talks to you about a toothpaste and all the benefits it offers you, you
are going to take them more seriously than if a random person recommends it.
Similarly, if a celebrity with beautiful hair endorses a shampoo or hair oil and
tells you it is the reason for their beautiful locks, you will most definitely believe
them and go out and buy it.
This what testimonial propaganda comprises of.
Advertisers use the testimonials of influencers, authority figures or experts in
the field to convince you that their product is worth your money.
This is mainly because if a famous person or one who has a lot of knowledge and
experience in the niche is vouching for it, there has got to be something that sets
it apart.
Testimonial Example:
Lisa Soberano has a great and silky
hair. One look at her is enough to
tell you that. She is also a super star
with a massive following. So when
she says that a shampoo product
will make your hair smooth and
silky, you are going to take her
seriously.
Glittering Generalities
All that glitters is not gold.
But you often come to that conclusion when it is way too late.
The glittering generalities technique makes use of fancy words that elicit
a positive response or feeling from you. In turn, this feeling is what
makes you want to buy the product, try the service or become affiliated
with the brand.
Some examples of these ‘glittering’ words include hope, change,
possibility, justice, and others that give off an extremely positive vibe or
hype you up among other things.
Glittering Generalities
Example:
There is no mention in this ad of how the
coffee is better than the rest, what sets it apart,
why it’s special, and so on. All you’re told is that
it is the ‘best’ coffee.
But that’s not all:
It goes on to say that drinking this coffee makes
you the best version of yourself.
And who doesn’t want to be that, right?
Plain Folks
Many people nowadays crave real experiences.
When applied to advertising, this basically means that they want to see
how a particular product or service brought value to a regular human being
like themselves.
In other words, this is quite the opposite technique to testimonial
propaganda where a celebrity, a decision-maker or an influencer is trying to
tell you to choose something over the other.
You can relate more to the experiences of people like yourself. Because after
all, you are likely to have a similar experience with a brand as people who
you have something in common with, as opposed to someone with a
completely different life, such as a celebrity.
Plain Folks Example:
Why is it an example of an ad making use of the
plain folks technique? Well, because the mother-
child duo with a shopping cart is the perfect
example of regular folks indulging in a regular
activity.
Any mother who has ever done grocery shopping
with their little one can relate to this picture – they
see themselves in it.
Paired with the promise of saving money on
groceries and gaining the ability to spend it
elsewhere to improve the quality of your life, it is
the perfect message.

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