Advertising

Appeals

Aviyukta Adlakha
What is Advertising Appeal?

Advertising appeals are communication strategies that marketing and

advertising professionals use to grab attention and persuade people to
buy or act.
Either one single appeal can be used or the appeals can be used in
combinations in order to have maximum impact on the audience and to
fulfil the objective advertisement aims to cater.
Types of Advertising Appeals
Broadly, Ad appeal can be classified into 2 categories: Rational Appeal and Emotional Appeal

Emotional appeals are those that appeal to a customer's social and/or psychological needs in
order for them to buy a product or service. Many consumers' purchasing decisions are motivated
by emotions, and their sentiments about a brand may be more significant than their understanding
of its characteristics or traits.

Many advertising strategies are founded on objective data, logic, and reasoning which comes
under rational appeal. While emotional appeals can be effective, they can also be manipulative;
intellectual arguments are more real and can help a brand establish authority. They concentrate
on the product or service's practical, functional, and usefulness for the customer. It focuses on: (a)
product or service features, and/or (b) the advantages of owning or utilizing a certain brand. (c) A
product's attribute of issue eradication or problem avoidance.
Status, Youth, Testimonial
Status: It all signifies a certain status level that is quite subliminal. Often you’ll see
apartments and fashion brands using this method.

Youth: The target audience for the youth appeal is actually the older generation. But
advertisers will use actors who are much younger than that target audience. The advertisers
want the consumer to feel younger and more energetic, and they lead us to believe that this
can happen by using their product. Eg: Santoor ad

Testimonial: Now, although it’s effective, testimonials don’t just have to be someone
speaking highly of a product. You can think outside the box. Like Doritos did when they
asked fans to submit Super Bowl commercial ideas. Yeah, they got the public involved and
more people were interacting with their brand. By thinking outside the box, these ads stand
out from the crowd.
Natural, Potential, Problem Solution
Problem Solution: Now most of us will wait to act until there is a problem that needs to be
solved. We know we need help when these ads direct us on where to go and what to do to
solve the issue.

Potential: Turning dreams into reality is exactly what you have with the potential appeal. This
is all about what could be. And LEGO nailed it when they helped kids see their potential with
a series of ads placing them in rockstars, fire suits or space suits as you have here. These
ads were placed all around schools, playgrounds and museums. Where not only the kids
would see it, but their parents would as well.

Natural: Natural appeal advertising offers you the chance to showcase your products in a
more relatable way. People will also appreciate the honesty behind these types of ads.
Statistic, Durability, Empathy
Statistic: With facts and statistics and, a little imagination, you can appeal to those who are
more rational in their approach.79% people don't floss well. So there's listerine mouthwash.

Durability: Duracell Rabit running.

Empathy: You’ve got to get the viewer to identify a problem that they’ve maybe never seen
before, and this is typically used in public service announcements to evoke emotion in
understanding a cause.
Social, Endorsed, Popularity

Popularity: Similar to the social appeal is the popularity appeal. When a lot of people want
to wear or do something, you want to do it too. And companies will purposely brand their
products with their logo to ensure society picks up on that trend. EG: Airtel Thanks Ad

Social: Everyone wants to feel included or a part of the most popular trends, and we’re all
influenced by what surrounds us. Share a coke campaign.

Endorsed: We have all seen celebrities and athletes put their name on a product. Akshay
Kumar in Harpic, Madhuri Dixit in Oats Maggi, Katrina Kaif in Maaza.
Fear, Scarcity, Adventure
Fear: Everyone has a fear. Some we’re willing to admit, others we’re not and some way may not
even realize. Use of strong visuals helps bring out those fears in us. Eg: the mukesh ad in movie
theaters.

Scarcity: The scarcity appeal is most often paired with the words “limited time.” The products
maybe available but not for long, and it may be even harder to find, making it more desirable for
the consumer. Coke nailed this appeal with their personalized bottles campaign. Everyone wanted
a bottled with their name on it or to send photos of bottles to their friends. Sure, more impulse
buys were made with this appeal but who didn’t want a Coke with their name on it.

Adventure: Car companies, active lifestyle brands and travel companies love the adventure
appeal. Hypothetically, these show us where their product can take us. It’s new and exciting to the
consumer and it even creates a sense of what if. Mountain Dew ad.
Humor, Romance, Sexual
Humour : Bringing humor into an ad can be very effective. It’ll grab attention and spark
response in a viewer. However it is much more rare because humor is subjective. What one
person finds funny, another person might find offensive. So a marketer must fully understand
their audience. EG: Ramesh and Suresh for 5 Star.

Romance: They give us powerful, inspiring feelings and it even will give us a sense of
nostalgia. EG Hawkins ad aish and abhi.

Sexual: Most Durex ads use sexual appeal.

Music, Personal, Contrasting

Personal: Take this Gillette ad for example. It appeals to the concerns of fathers by using
actual sandpaper and research to show the importance of skin to skin contact with a
newborn baby, and the effects it could have later on.

Music: Vicco turmeric nahi cosmetic - Vicco Turmeric WSO Cream, Asli Masale Sach Sach,
MDH..MDH!

Contrasting: Nestle launched a spoof on a Cadbury ad with tag line, "Khao bina tareekh
dekhe" directly challenging Cadbury which had advertised its brand with a tagline "Meetha
hai khana aaj pehli tareekh hai". 2009