Advertising Propaganda

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Advertising invades every aspect of our modern lives. It is shoved upon us from every aspect of media. Internet, television, radio, movies, and even our streets seem to be centered on it. We are asked to buy, try, and consume the next best thing. While most things advertised are meaningful and can possibly be used to either help or make our lives better, we do not necessarily need it. Mostly what we are exposed to in advertising is propaganda, and to define it better, the authors of the book, “Propaganda and Persuasion” state propaganda as the following, “Propaganda is the deliberate, systematic attempt to shape perceptions, manipulate cognitions, and direct behavior to achieve a response that furthers the desired intent of the…show more content…
Taking another moment to read the aforementioned quote, think about what the word “free” means to you? Is it in agreement, of what you consider to be free? Most people will not agree and some people will. This is a glittering generality. Advertisers use doubt to sell their products and hope we agree with their view. General statements aside, another tactic entitled name-calling is the opposite.
The cable/internet company Comcast is a great example. In one commercial, Comcast uses many approaches in selling their purportedly lightning fast internet service. Recently, Comcast used husband and wife turtles as a decoy to insult competitors and to prove how great their service is. Using the “name-calling” approach, the two turtles that are referred to as the Slowsky’s, mock the slow speeds of their hinted competitors Verizon and EarthLink who both sell DSL internet. Mr. Slowsky is trying his hardest to push a notebook computer while Ms. Slowsky yells, “push it to the left” in order to improve the speed of his internet connection. Frustrated, Mr. Slowsky yells, “You push it, you push it real good.” While comical, this ad wrap up with the feeling that Comcast’s product is superior and competitors are inferior. Using the name-calling approach, Comcast effectively persuades audiences to believe their
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