Propaganda advertising is used on Americans day in and day out by techniques including infomercials, the newspaper, billboards, and the banners on public transportation buses, so on and so forth. Don’t get me wrong I find advertising to be an intelligent technique in marketing. It is effective on some people and gets the job done. However at the same time, I find it conniving. Advertisers are trying to attract us and as soon as they grab our attention, it is like they have locked you in and there is no turning back. There are in fact some individuals which the “charming factor” is not successful on. Some Americans stick to their ground and turn the advertisers down completely; others are easier to win over.
Out of the seven basic propaganda techniques used, there are two methods I see more frequently than others. The first is the use of the “weasel words” McClinktock referred to. These weasel words fool some people and they end up giving in. The most logical reasoning for this is because people believe what they see, and don’t do any extra research on the product being advertised. The second is the use of celebrity’s as an icon in order to get their product to sell. Propagandists feel if people admire a celebrity who uses their product, then people will also admire their product. After watching infomercials or passing billboards while I am driving, I even admit to buying into the advertisement. Propagandists feed off of the people who buy into their tricks. Propaganda is everywhere but that does not necessarily mean people need to believe it. If you fall into the trap, it is no one’s fault but your own.
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