Advertising's 15 Basic Appeals

Safety Sense

Political activist and contemporary psychologist Dr. Noam Chomsky once said about propaganda and advertising, “Citizens… should undertake a course of intellectual self defense to protect themselves from manipulation and control” (Noam). Advertisers have two main goals when creating their advertisements: attract attention to the product, and generate more sales for their business (Fowles). Truthfulness, although important to the consumer, is not often an advertiser's main concern. When viewing an advertisement, consumers must consider these goals to avoid being duped by the flashiness of the product (Fowles). Magazines such as Cosmopolitan often contain advertisements for a variety of products, such as one selling the latest and

According to Jib Fowles and his essay “Advertising’s Fifteen Basic Appeals”, human beings have an instinct of self-preservation, and advertisers often take advantage of this need. The car is shown on top of a cliff on a perilous looking one lane road. The brief description of the product claims that the “Lane Departure Alert” and “Steering Assist” will detect the lane markers and correct the vehicle if it starts to drift over the line. The explanation that the product will keep the vehicle in the desired lane paired with the portrayal of the car conquering dangerous terrain appeals to human beings need to be safe. A secondary appeal shown in this advertisement is the need to escape. Leaving the boisterous city and working life behind, the car drives off into the distance to the blissful countryside. According to Jib Fowles essay, appeal to escape is identifiable by an advertisement showing a break from an oppressive daily life (Fowles). Another secondary appeal used is the need for aesthetic sensations. Jib Fowles identifies this as when the photograph and everything in the advertisement is near perfect (Fowles). This picture is laid out in such a way that the car pops out and looks sleek, stylish, and larger than life, appealing to the viewer's aesthetic sensations. In connection to the looks of the advertisement, another secondary appeal used is the need for attention. Jib Fowles notes that many advertisements used in Cosmopolitan magazine use an appeal to attention (Fowles). This is the case because the readers of the magazine, often women aged 20-30, are concerned with being looked at, and thusly their looks. This car looking alluring and modern will make the driver the object of