People, who use language to arrest attention, communicate instantly, arouse desire and create need,
anticipation and excitement are copy writers for advertising. Advertising has become one of the world's largest
most profitable businesses.
Advertisers use Text types or Genres that: Coax, Entice, Induce, Deceive, Beguile and Persuade
Here’s four ingredients of successful ads: attention,
interest, desire and action (AIDA).
Attention: Eye-catching layout, striking features
to make people take notice. Clear concise expression short sentences and
paragraphs. Captivating Graphics. Spectacular Layout easy to grasp.
Interest: to sustain interest, often targeted to
a niche market.
Desire: the ad will create or develop a need
or desire for the product. (See below)
Action:an urging for direct action with some incentives; gifts,
limited time, special deals, Usually in the second person with an imperative
tone.
Advertisers recognise that we all have fears, hopes,
anxieties, aspirations, insecurities and dreams and rather than satisfy
desires, not needs, they lull us into false illusions that these will be filled
by consumerism. They exploit our psyche by appeals to:
Status
– snob values: Top people read Spectrum, discerning people
drink Baileys, discriminating tastes prefer King Island Cheese, the best
homes… exclusive
Fear
of non-conformity: bad breath, B.O., pejoratives, old-fashioned,
negative associations.
Security
– Get with the
strength, a name you can trust, Est. 1870.
Ease
and Comfort - Relax,
treat yourself, processed food, self indulgence.
Authority
- Doctors
recommend, or horse trainers/dog trainers/racing car drivers or
just famous people, athletes through
either direct testimonial or by association linking the product with fame and
prestige.
Brand
names: To establish these you must imbue them
with epic qualities and have them branded into the psyches of your target
(niche) audience.
Symbol
Manipulation:
You invest objects with significance that transcend themselves through
association: Though attractive, the links can be deceptive. Cigarettes
to elegance, social acceptance, outdoor health scenes, Cars and
sexy women, foods and heroic sporting achievements…..
Impressive
Layouts and Graphics with
attention grabbing and subtle display and exploitation of colour.
Characteristics
of Persuasive language:
Emotive
language –
coloured and biased language with affected and associated meanings: new,
free, wanted, sensational
Abstract
words - beauty,
delicious, satisfying, they invest their products with significance or
symbolism beyond themselves; aristocratic elegance, sportsmanship, good health
or sexual attractiveness.
Catchy
Phrases –
language to arrest your attention; to lure you in, to seduce, to communicate
instantly, briefly, concisely with impact.
Poetic,
Glamorised or Euphemistic Language – They ransack the language for words and phrases and
plagiarise poetry unashamedly. They choose glossy, glamorous flowing
language that lulls or hypnotises you, dulling your intellect. Sound effects:
alliteration, assonance and rhyme and rhythm
Imperative
Mood - The
language urges, orders or commands you to act in an assertive aggressive
enterprising manner.
Use of
the Second Person - You are being addressed, targeted, made to feel special. You are
induced to “treat/indulge yourself” because you deserve it – to arouse
self-interest. They speak directly to the reader.
Abuse
of Language -
Advertisers can be very dishonest in how they use language. Without
resorting to outright lies, they attempt to make “gilt seem gold, the
shoddy silk; to cheat us legally.”
Frequent
use of Adjectives - a predominance
of superlatives; best, freshest, cleanest, brightest, biggest, most real,
special, crisp wonderful.
Repetition
- easy to read,
and help to fix the product in the receivers mind. Brand names are
repeated ad nauseum as are catchy phrases and jingles.
Humour
– softens us up
for the soft sell.
