Advertisements - Varieties and Forms Reviewed
By Donald Hammond
From the psychological point of view advertisements may be classified according to their general purpose or intention and also according to the particular tasks which they set themselves. Thus we may have the three following types, according to the task attempted:
Classified Advertisement. Takes initial attention, interest, and memory for granted, and merely seeks to direct the response.
Publicity Advertisement. Takes for granted the elements of persuasion, decision, and response, and merely tries to accomplish the tasks which the Classified Advertisement explicitly ignores - namely, to attract and hold attention, and to fix an impression in the reader's mind.
Complete Advertisement. Attempts to perform all the various tasks of an appeal. These are, in their logical order:
to attract initial attention;
to hold attention in an interesting way;
to bring about an association or impression which will have permanence or memory value;
to convince, persuade, or induce;
to suggest and lead to specific response
Still differently classified, according to the psychological mechanism they employ or invoke, advertisements may be classified as follows:
Reflex Appeals. Directed in a mechanical way toward the simple reflexes, such as bright flashing lights, moving objects, alternating signs, curious noises, etc. These do not attempt to sell goods, nor usually even to set up any kind of mental association. They are merely devices for getting the eye or ear of the casual visitor directed toward some other appeal, more strictly an advertisement.
Short Circuit Appeals. Concentrated appeals to one or more specific instincts, feelings, emotions, or ideals of the reader. The attempt here is to influence by simple suggestion; argument and deliberation are avoided, no mention is made of rival products, but some strong feeling is played upon. This short circuit, "human-nature" may be either through reading matter, picture, or arrangement.
Long Circuit Appeal. So-called "reason-why " copy, which argues, deliberately invites comparison and argumentation, weighing of selling points and advantages. This will usually take the form of text, although other devices may also be frequently employed.
Rationalization Appeal. This fourth type has special psychological interest and is based on a principle which is only recently showing itself in the field of advertising. One of the striking tendencies of human kings is to act, judge, believe, or vote on strictly instinctive, emotional grounds, and then, after the act is committed, to try to justify or defend it by intellectual and logical reasons. Thus we believe in immortality because we prefer it, want it, and have an instinctive and emotional yearning for it. Then having formulated our belief on these purely non-rational grounds, we search and search for arguments which we can give to our neighbors in justification of our belief. We would like them to think that we ourselves believe on the grounds of the logical arguments. But in our heart of hearts we know that we first believed, and only when our belief was challenged did we search for logical proofs or reasons.
Donald "DonOmite" Hammond has been a freelance webdesigner and programmer for over 10 years. He has done marketing of himself and his products as well as customers' products on their websites.