Response Paper: Advertising’s Fifteen Basic Appeals

Can you remember what your favorite toy was? Or maybe that toy you always wanted but

never received? Think back, if you close your eyes and think way back into your childhood, you may

remember that infamous toy . The toy was likely shown during one of the many commercial brakes

bombarding you in between your favorite Saturday morning television shows, or maybe after school

while watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. When I think back I can remember mine. It was called

Skip it! I don't remember the specific words to the jingle which played during the commercial, but I can

sure hum it to this day. If you described or even named a specific toy, maybe in your head or even out

loud... a concern must be represented to you. You have been targeted and selected a victim of

advertising.

The section of the book titled Advertising, particularly the reading Advertising's Fifteen Basic

Appeals caught my full attention and deep interest. I am currently in pursuit of a future career in

advertising and was completely side swiped to find that pop culture could be comprised of such a topic.

Did you know that $66 billion dollars was the amount of money spent by kids and young adults (ages

4-19) in 1992 (Bowen 1995). the group marketers most prize because first, they spend disposable

income, as well as influence how their parents spend money; second people tend to establish loyalties

to certain brands early in life; third young people are more likely to buy items on impulse. (Fox 63)

Advertising can and is any type of message surrounding a transaction between people, whether its by

Kristina White

Cultural Studies: Popular Culture

2/26/08

Television, the World Wide Web, billboards, or just by word of mouth. It is persuasive; it can function

as an experience surrounding consumerism. It is the key functional approach in capturing the

audiences attention and seems to adjust to our or consumers wants and needs. Now a days, advertisers

focus on what the consumer wants or desires, not on what we truly need to just survive.

Jib Fowles credit advertisers in their arduous attempt to evade our logical, cautious, and

skeptical powers developed over time and experience as consumers. And advises the consumer to

recognize the fifteen underlining basic appeals in any ad. The basic appeals used in ads, in no

particular order are: The need for sex; Advertisers have found the use of sex appeal can be quit

challenging due to it over powering