Logic: The Art of Thinking

Assignment

Advertisements

Find examples of ten(10) of the following techniques employed by advertisers. Attach your description of the technique to the actual ad or description of the ad from newspapers, magazines, radio or television. 

TECHNIQUES, METHODS , DEVICES and GIMMICKS 

Choose only 10 different items

1. Never tells what is wrong with the product- suppressed evidence 

2. Statements that are false or questionable 

3. Irrelevancy- appeals to desire, fear, false authority,etc...

4. Ambiguity- or Vagueness of Language 

5. Meaningless Jargon-Misuse or Invention of Words -not in dictionary 

6. Literally true but implies a falsehood-implications and suggestions that are false 

7. Humor-play on words to mask a weak or non existent argument diversionary tactic

8. Exaggeration

9. Faulty Comparison - False Analogy 

10. Deceptive Sight or Sound Technique 

11. Double Appeal-Covertly (indirectly) to selfish or negative desires

        Overtly (directly and openly) to unselfish desires 

12. Pre -emptive claims-false implication of uniqueness 

13. Semantic Claim- false implication of uniqueness through the use of a made up word or phrase

14. "Weasel" Words - e.g." up to", "helps", "can", "might", "and up",...