Advertising is everywhere. Even if you don't have a television of your own or listen to the radio, advertising can be spread by word of mouth, mail, radio, television, movie theaters, highway billboards, magazines, flyers. There really isn't any escaping it. However, advertising is very useful. I not only give us, the consumers, a description of the product, but it also gives us a choice. With so many companies competing over our money, you are bound to find a great product from an ideal company.
Advertising of products can be informative, opinionated, exaggerated, humorous and sad. Each and every consumer that sees these advertisements can be tempted by the product, or turned off by the topic. For example, the ASPCA has multiple commercials showing starved, abused, and homeless animals. Animals like cats, dogs, horses, etc. The commercial depicts such sad view of these caged, diseased, mistreated animals that you can't help but hate whoever did this to them and then want to love your animals more than before. At the end of this heart wrenching commercial, it asks you to donate some money to help fund protection and medical treatment of these animals in need. What a way to convince you to support abused and neglected animals huh? After probably crying or being extremely disturbed by the images depicted, something usually sparks in our head to see what we can do to make things better. That is how this commercial convinces you to send money to their organization.
Some commercials don't involve you purchasing anything at all. They may be meant to influence you to do something different like vote or make healthier life choices. The Ohio Dept. of Health encourages all residents of Ohio to go and get their flu shots, H1N1 shots, child vaccines and various other preventative health precautions. Most of their services listed above are provided free. The ODH encourages the public to get the vaccines to protect the health of all of us by preventing the spread of harmful germs and disease. They have advertised online, through television, and also through popular radio stations. In doing so they have managed to vaccinate tens of thousands of our Ohio residents. Thus making our state a bit healthier than others who have not put forth such an effort. There is nothing flashy or scary about their form of advertisement, just informative and straight to the point. This in my opinion is the most effective method.
Straight to the point and informative commercials tend to tell you everything you would need to know to interest you in buying a product, or just doing what the commercial said. This method doesn't falsely glamorize the topic, leaving out important details that the consumer may be concerned about. Informative, straight to the point commercials don't leave you in the dark about their topic. This style of commercial isn't meant to be malicious, or misleading. However, many advertisements are. Certain advertisements may say that their product can make you look ten years younger; lose 30 lbs in 2 weeks with no exercise or diet. They sell you a dream that cannot be fulfilled with their product, but after glorifying the product and adding some enthusiastic paid customer testimonials, we are misled to think those products work wonders. But we are left at home with wasted money on a product that doesn't do half of what it said on the commercial.
To me, advertisement does its part. Convincing me to buy, educate myself, or just live healthier. I just don't appreciate a misleading advertisement. If companies were more honest with the consumers, it could possibly earn them more money. Selling false dreams to the public can cause word of mouth to spread negative reviews of that product to whoever will listen. Consumers appreciate honesty and a more realistic approach to advertising.
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