An advertisement promotes a product, usually by emotive and persuasive means.
A successful advertisement will make use of one or more of the following techniques - creativity, emotion, reason, fact, or opinion. (Be aware of brainwashing!)
Emotion and subjective opinion dominate advertising and the consumer needs to be aware of this.
A written advertisement should:
- interest, stimulate and influence the consumer
Image credit - describe and promote the product in an exciting, original manner
- convince the buyer that he or she cannot do without the product
- be targeted at a specific market e.g. children, teenagers, housewives or business people
Image credit - provide information such as statistical evidence, contact details, price and availability
- be simple and memorable e.g. by using points in bullet-form rather than sentences
The A I D A principle: (AIDA is a recognised advertising acronym)
A TTENTION - grab the attention of the buyer
I NTEREST - sustain the consumer's interest
D ESIRE - create a desire to possess the advertised product
A CTION - spur the buyer into action
Advertising Tactics
- Use visual effects - eye-catching headlines, pictures, photographs, cartoons, posters and cleverly designed graphics, including fonts and colours.
Image credit - Use language devices - well-chosen adjectives, puns, alliteration, assonance, exaggeration, repetition, rhetorical questions, commands, slogans and catchy phrases.
- Appeal to the reader's emotions and desires - make the reader feel that it is in his or her interest to buy the object.
Image credit - Address the ***universal concerns - self-esteem, health, financial and physical security.
- Give statistical claims and successes in order to gain credibility.
- Incorporate humour - a smile from the recipient will indicate that the advertisement has achieved its objective.
Image credit - Make use of appealing gimmicks - free gifts, prizes and special offers.
- An oral presentation may include sound effects - jingles, songs, lyrics or appropriate background sounds.
Source:
EBH Joubert: English Grammar. In Writing
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/advertising