I recently watched a commercial about some lotion for women. It was targeted at a specific group of women. The model on the screen was very pretty and the advertisers were trying to make it appear like usage of the product would make one look like that model whose image maybe has been digitally altered to make her look even Hotter. This isn't the first time commercials do that but it had me thinking . . . Are we, the consumers, so dumb that we can't see we're being deceived? Or do we just like to hear lies because they're more palatable than the truth?
Well, commercials play in the limit of the law and of our desires, so it's pretty natural that we get deceived. On the other hand it's in their best interest to have good products or else we just try them and we won't buy them again, maybe they just don't know better?
The main reason behind it all is money, obviously. On paper the formula, pretty model + their product + good results on screen = lots of cash, works but not to a consumer that has a few brain cells. Sometimes though, the results on screen catch our curiosity and we end up buying the item. But, that isn't the bulk of their sales. The targeted audience is the impulse buyers and the people that are easily swayed. I do believe that a lot of marketing companies think that the consumer is like cattle, mindless and willing to go with the herd. Based on this, they make stupid commercials.
The people who create these products are trying to make as much money as possible, of course. Marketing is big business and so they will pull out all the stops in order to get the product to sell, so that means making crazy claims in order to compete. I can't even count how many times I've heard a movie trailer say that their movie is the best movie of the year or something to that caliber. It would be great if there was some sort of law created that made it so advertisements had to be completely truthful.
Speaking of desires, commercials deliberately show attractive women when selling products to men because they want men to think that buying that beer or car will get them women. It's all psychology and manipulation, like the Christmas commercials that make you feel like a bad parent if you don't buy your kid a $500 game console.
Absolutely! i hate turning on the tv to someone in a bikini selling something totally off the wall. Like the Jessica Simpson/ Burger King ad. It made no sense and was just blatant in your face "Hey buy the thing and the ladies will love ya".
Commercials are deceptive because they are trying to sell you products. Marketers are not concerned with honesty. They are trying to make money. That is never going to change. You should never expect honesty when watching commercials.
It's all about money! Marketing is never about honesty, but is always about sales. And sure, the people that produce commercials understand that not everyone will be swayed by their ad, but they target the ad to a certain kind of person for that reason. The beauty product commercials - aimed at middle-aged women with wrinkles. The weight loss commercials - aimed at overweight people who are feeling insecure. There are commercials for impulse buyers, for smart students, for single parents, for teens - everyone is a target audience.
Well, at least infomercial type advertisements will often lead to the purchase of products that actually do a little of what was advertised. I have yet to open a can of beer and have hot bikini models appear from the ether to party with me.
Commercials are deceptive because they are not going to sell their product by being brutally honest about it. They are obviously going to tell you it is a fantastic item and the best thing ever invented, if you tell people something often enough they will start to believe it. They are not going to tell you their product is a load of junk. they will accentuate and exaggerate the good points. The money lending companies commercials are the worst example of this practice, a millionaire celebrity telling you how great your life will be if you borrow money at 3000% interest. This type of advertising is totally unethical and should be banned. The rest are really just normal sales techniques, being selective with the truth and being persuasive in the selling approach.
Commercials sell an image and a lifestyle that people aspire to. Most people know it's not true, but it allows them to think it can happen. All commercials and adverts are created to appeal to the target audience who can identify with the people or the scenario, but it's usually those who aspire that take more notice and who purchase in hopes that it will change their lifestyle or status.
I don't think everyone is fooled by it. There are some, but there are also a lot of savvy shoppers, now more so than ever. A lot of people will blow money on junk for the cool factor, but you'll also find that there are those of us who laugh at that garbage. I buy things I need. If I don't need what they are selling, they aren't going to trick me into buying it anyway. Not gonna happen.
As long as they can fool someone, they will continue to do so! We are always eager to look younger and more beautiful in this society, at those sell, and some will always believe what they hear or see. So they will continuously supporting those deceptive ads, and spend their money to support their own delusion!
Money makes the world go round. Drink it down, you stupid clown. Money makes the world go round so let's go buy a pro-duct! Well, that may not be the original song but the sentiment is the same. Everyone sells everything with the best face the product can show.
I don't fall for commercials and advertising. I don't even watch t.v anymore. There's this thing that "supposedly" runs in my family. Whenever a commercial comes on, no matter what it's about, we point out all of the flaws and dumbness that's held within it. Not to mention, a lot of companies will do anything they can to get just about anyone to buy their worthless products.
I think it's a little of both. We see the pretty model and think if our skin was that nice we would look as good as she does. We're always looking for the easy way out when it comes to improving our physical appearance. Diet pills instead of a diet, or super, overnight skin tightening lotion instead of taking better care of our skin. We believe them because we not only want to believe there an answer that will solve all our problems. Advertisers exploit that and advertise to us in a way that that will play into our securities and make us fall for their scam.
Media and commercials raise expectations and for some people, they will believe it. It's crazy how these products are being sold at high volumes even if the commercial looks like a sham to many others. Such as the ShamWow! for example, they were a product that picked up practically ALL liquids. However, when customer reviews came out with true credibility they were debunct. So, that basically leads me to believe the buyers of products buy off instinct and/or are ignorant to reviews. It's sad I guess, but fortunately some of the products we see on TV work, maybe not as exaggerated, but they do the job necessary. I've had one experience with a sand-box toy I bought for my friend's kid. They loved it, so I guess it was a good purchase. Have you, or anybody in this thread, been able to get a positive experience out of As Seen On TV products?
You're the bad example of human who watches commercials; these are targeted for people who have little to no education, which they are utmost willingful to give away their money obliviously, and they lure them by any means: cute models, bright colors... you get the point. It might seem a bit out-of-hand for us people who are selective, but you might be surprised to know that they haven't stopped already giving such commercials because people actually buy. We don't actually buy the product, but the commercial.
All commercials are deceptive because you probably wouldn't want to buy the product if they told the truth and I'm really surprised that people still get taken in by advertising to this day.
It's proven to work. Someone could dislike something, but once they see it in a new light (say, on a model, in a rich person's home, used by their fave celebrity), it changes the product. If you've never used it before, most people want to experience whatever it is in the commercial.. they connect the product with the experience somehow whether they believe what the commercial says or not. Most times they do lol. People are easy targets.. they always want what they can't have and companies sell that to them. They know how to play you and you suck it up (not you you lol)
