These are based on the emotions of people and since humans are generally emotional, these kinds of appeals directly touch the hearts of public especially in the case of FMCG and children goods. But now such kinds of appeals are also being used by Insurance companies, hospitals and so on. Emotional appeals relate to the customers’ social and/or psychological needs for purchasing a product or service.
These appeals can be classified into two groups, namely, Positive Emotional Appeals and Negative Emotional Appeals.
Positive Emotional Appeals - The various types of positive emotional appeals being used by the advertisers are love, joy,humor, prestige, affection, security, comfort, self-esteem, achievement, health, sex and so on. Generally the baby products’ ads use love/affection appeal. The most common example relating to this kind of appeal is the Johnson’s baby products’ advertisements.
Figure: Click on the link below to see Johnson’s Ad showing Parental Love
An advertisement of Cadbury Silk chocolate that used joy appeal and demonstrated a girl and a boy enjoying the Cadbury’s chocolate in a joyous mood.
Figure: Click on the link below to see ‘Joy Appeal’ used in Cadbury Ad.
Figure: Click on the link below to see the effective use of‘Security Appeal’.
In an ad shown of Durafirm, the Durafirm mattresses had used comfort appeal when it stated in its copy designed especially to offer orthopedically correct posture and comfort to back and spine.
Figure: Click on the link below to see ‘Comfort Appeal’ in the ad of Durafirm Mattresses
Many health drinks use health appeal, where the mother is shown to be quite concerned with the health and growth of her growing child.
Figure:Click on the link below to see ‘Health Appeal’ in Complan Ad.
The figure below uses health appeal when it promotes the product as one that fights diabetes and excess weight; manages stress and blood pressure; and relieves joint pain and spondylitis.
Figure: Advertisement based on Health Appeal
Source: Newspaper Clipping
Similarly, advertisements related to locks, door handles, cement etc. use security appeal while prestige appeal is generally associated with branded products example: Raymonds – ‘A Complete Man’, indicates that a person who wears Raymond’s suitings belongs to a different class of men.
Figure: Click on the link below to see Raymond ad depicting – ‘A Complete Man’where a Prestige Appeal.
Many advertisers have also used humour very effectively. Many products have been promoted using this appeal and humour generally affects audience very quickly and attention can be easily sought. This is an interesting way to reach to the audience in an entertaining manner. The ad promoting the mint candy ‘Mentos’ with the tagline ‘Dimag ki Batti jala De’, is an example where humour appeal has been effectively used.
Figure:Click on the link below to see Mentos ad using ‘Humor Appeal’
Marketers to market products such as condoms, lingerie, deodrants, perfumes and soaps have also used sex appeal. The Axe ad is a classic example of sex appeal wherein the girls get attracted towards a boy who has used Axe deodorant.
Figure: Click on the link below to see the ‘Axe Deodorant’ad using ‘Sex Appeal’ in promoting Deodorants
This kind of appeal should be used in a very careful and in a subtle manner because if not used carefully; these appeals can make the ads vulgar overshadowing the ad message that causes poor product recall. This means that the target audience might be able to recall the sexual visuals but might not be able to recall the product for which it has been used. Rampant useof this appeal in the product categories, which have nothing to do with this kind of appeal, is not justified and is an ethical issue.
Value Addition 5: Pause and Think
|
|
|
Emotional Appeal
|
Watch a few ads of body lotions of different brands.
Have the advertisers used sex appeal in the ad?
Do you think the use of ‘Sex Appeal’ in the advertisement of a body lotion is justified? Give reasons.
|
Negative Emotional Appeal - The negative emotional appeal showcases the loss that a person might incur in case he does not follow the instructions given by the advertiser. Fear Appeal is the most important type of negative emotion appeal thathas been immensely used by the advertisers to get the desired behavior from the consumers by instilling fear or anxiety.
Fear Appeal: This appeal has been very extensively used to instill fear in the minds of the consumers for not using a particular product. It has been used in messages of wide variety of products and even in social messages to foster a particular behavior pattern amongst the general public. The appeals have been used in ads related to Insurance policies, wearing of helmets, save water, and smoking. In ads of products like cold creams, the ads indicate that if the product is not used, it can lead to dry skin in winters. In case of tooth-paste, the ad shows that if it is not used, it can lead to either tooth ache or tooth decay.
Figure: Click below to see a Colgate ad showing fear appeal.
Value Addition 6: Video
|
|
|
Pepsodent Ad
|
Click on the link below to watch a Pepsodent ad that was designed on a fear appeal of damaging the teeth if not brushed regularly with Pepsodent toothpaste
|
|
|
Fear appeals are much more effective and bring about desired change immediately as compared to positive emotional appeals. Moreover, fear appeals are seldom composed of only negative element and the message closes down on a positive note if one complies with the message. For example, in the figure below, the fear appeal is used by including a demon’s shadow in the picture that demonstrates that you are at risk if not protected. However, besides including the fear factor, the ad states that protection is possible and suggests State Bank of India’s 8 rules of safe and secure Internet banking.
Figure : Ad based on Fear Appeal
Value Addition 7: Activity
|
|
|
Emotional Appeal
|
Think of three products or product categories for which the use of emotional appeal is most suitable. Justify your choice by giving reasons.
|
