BA (JMC) 2014 – Basics of Advertising
Unit 2: Creativity in Advertising
Sukriti Arora
Creative Appeals
What makes an advertisement memorable and successful? Is it the product or it is the way it
was presented? The goal of an advertisement is to hook the customers and persuade them to
act in a desired manner. The end question to ask is “what would appeal the most to the target
audience?” This chapter will lay out various creative appeals that are used in advertisements
to hook the potential customers.
Introduction
Creative appeal, also known as advertising appeal, is the approach used for attracting the target
audience and to influence their opinions and feelings towards the advertised subject. Appeals
are used as hooks that should ideally click with the audience and get etched in their memories.
Mentioned below are some of the commonly used creative appeals in advertising.
1. Rational Appeal
This is the approach wherein the logical mind of the audience is appealed to. Emphasis is laid
on the factual information about the product or service. Advertisers tell the audience about the
direct benefits they can avail by using the brand. These ads consider that the audience is capable
of rational thinking and only actual functional benefits of the product or service can make them
purchase it.
An advertisement telling about the increased product quantity or competitive pricing is also
using the rational appeal. Ads telling that the lipstick stays for 12 hours or a food product is
tastier or the air conditioner uses less electricity are also talking about the direct functional
benefit of a product and therefore fall under the same category.
2. Endorsement Appeal
Endorsements from celebrities from different walks of life is an effective method of increasing
the popularity of a product. Studies have revealed that several people are, in fact, influenced to
adopt a brand because of the celebrity endorsing it. Choosing the celebrity suitable for
endorsing a certain type of product depends on the public’s perception about them and their
demographic details such as age and gender.
For instance, Amitabh Bachchan is seen as a trustworthy personality whose advice can be relied
upon. The success of India’s polio eradication campaign is a witness of that. On the other hand,
brands targeting young girls have Alia Bhatt as their face.
3. Emotional Appeal
These advertisements focus on the audience’s emotional and psychological needs. Humans are
social beings and they need to love and be loved, have a family or friends, care and be cared
for. They look for trust, romance and passion in their lives.
Advertisements with emotional appeals often focus on building relationships – such as between
different communities, between a mother and a child, between friends – by using the advertised
product as the key to building them. Coca Cola’s campaigns – Open Happiness and Share a
Coke – also use the same appeal. It has also come up with packaging with the words like bro,
sis, dada and baji.
4. Moral Appeal
Ads using this appeal target the audience’s sense of right and wrong. They are usually created
as public service advertisements by both public and private organizations. Moral ads preach
good behaviour in a society or seek participation in moral causes.
5. Social Appeal
Human beings often want the feeling of belongingness in the society. Being a part of social
groups brings a sense of security and acceptance from the society. Advertisers often use this as
the social appeal wherein people tend to purchase things that are popular in their social groups.
other people are purchasing.
People also often purchase merchandise related to a movie or television program such as Game
of Thrones, Harry Potter and F.R.I.E.N.D.S
So, in the famous ad by Lifebuoy, the boy needs to switch to a faster soap like the rest of his
classmates.
Social appeal is similar to bandwagon appeal (buying what others are buying) and snob appeal
(feeling part of an elite club or luxurious).
6. Fear Appeal
This approach highlights the consequences of not using a particular product or not adopting the
idea being promoted. These ads may draw on the personal fears or a general sense of loss.
Advertisements discouraging the use of tobacco and cigarettes, cautioning against environment
related causes and not following the law use the fear appeal.
7. Humour Appeal
Simply put, ads that make you laugh have a humorous appeal. Laughter makes people feel
good; therefore, this appeal is used for making people feel good about the product/service.
These ads capture attention easily and are more memorable than the others. However,
advertisers have to be cautious as humour should be related to the product and not added for
the sake of it. Otherwise, the attention would be more on the joke than what is being advertised.
8. Sexual Appeal
This appeal uses sexual imagery and innuendoes to communicate the advertising message. Ads
using this approach catch attention very easily and create an instant desirability for the product.
This appeal is used not only for sex-related products like contraceptives but also for others such
as clothing, food, and deodorants to name a few.
Other appeals include:
• Youth appeal: desire to feel young. Ex. ads of ageing creams, hair dyes.
• Adventure appeal: travel companies, active brands, jeeps.
• Brand appeal: when brand itself is the reason for purchase. Luxury brands like Gucci,
Versace, even Starbucks.
• Testimonial appeal: hear the real experiences from users. Sensodyne, Colgate Ved
Shakti.
• Beauty appeal: aesthetic beauty is the attracting factor. Wall paints, beauty products,
interior décor.
• Music appeal: use of musical tunes or songs to grab attention such as Airtel signature
tune by AR Rahman and song of Vicco Turmeric ads.
It must be noted that an advertisement can have more than one complementing appeals. For
instance, Katarina Kaif in Amasutra ads has both sexual and endorsement appeal whereas
Lakme Eyeconic ads with Kareena Kapoor have both endorsement and rational appeal.
Determining which appeal to use starts with determining the reasons why the target
audience would like to buy the product or idea being advertised.
