Propaganda Techniques

In Advertising and in Political Speeches

Propaganda Definition:

The techniques used to influence a mass audience to think or act in a certain way.

Slogans

A catchy slogan is more easily remembered than a complicated explanation.

Examples ) Just Do It, Eat Fresh… What companies use these slogans?

Repetition

When a message is drummed into a listener’s consciousness, it tends to be remembered.

This is how we are taught to read, write, learn times tables for math, etc. The more we do something or hear it, the better we remember it.

Loaded Words

Certain words evoke strong feelings. These are called loaded because they are “loaded” with emotion.

Examples) Fat, old, slavery, liar, poor, etc.

What do you feel when you hear or are called these words?

Powerful Images

Just as there are loaded words, certain images/people are powerful.

Examples) Entertainers and sports stars sell products because they have “power” over consumers. Also, images like rainbows, sunshine, etc. can make people feel good.

Appeals to Our Fears

A powerful propaganda technique is to play on a listener’s fears. The message says, in effect, that if you don’t do a certain thing, something you fear will happen.

Example) If you don’t use this mouthwash, your breath will stink!!If we don’t have security at airports, someone could bring a bomb into our country.

Appeals to Our Basic Needs and Desires

All humans need food, drink, clothing, and shelter to survive. We also have emotional needs: we need to be loved and cared for and to have a sense of dignity and self-worth.

Example) No one WANTS to look old, have acne, or to worry about national security or our nations debt.

Conclusion

Propaganda techniques are used all of the time, but we often don’t recognize it. We are going to see how they are used in advertising to get us to buy products, and we will see how some influential people use propaganda when giving speeches.