Comm 3444 Chapter 5 Controversies in Contemporary Advertising Beyond Subliminal The Pervasiveness of Persuasion Persuasive Content and Subliminal Messages Advertising is persuasive Most advertising messages are a mix of informational and persuasive content The persuasive aspect of such messages comes in two forms The advertiser chooses specific attributes of each product or service for inclusion in the message The message may indicate how consumers will think or feel once they have decided to purchase or use the product Advertising that does not show the consumer how the product will address their needs and wants Irrelevant Subliminal Advertising Advertising places a message under an individual s margin of consciousness FCC created a policy in 1974 that stated that if TV stations knowingly ran subliminal advertising they could be found in violation of the public trust and risked having their licenses revoked Active and Passive Consumers Revisited Why focus on subliminal advertising Many critics still believe in the passive consumer o Passive Consumer Do not realize when advertising is happening o Third person effect People who are not passive still now others who have been affected by subliminal messaging More persuasive because it is out of the norm Environment can enhance the persuasiveness Product Placement Product Placement a paid product message aimed at influencing a movie or other media audience through planned and unobtrusive entry of a branded product into the medium s content Product placement can subsidize movie production costs Today about 15 of revenue from feature films is generated from product placement Television placement is a little more diverse from characters using products to entire shows centered around advertisers Product placement does not stop with traditional media content Books Video games Websites Transportation Songs Advertorials The combination between editorial content and advertising is quickly rising Advertorials are a way to generate revenue from new advertisers by providing editorial content that is complementary to their advertising message Some do not like the blurring of messages in advertorials Intended Effects Brands are exposed to viewers Makes up for the lost exposure from traditional advertisements Von Restorff Effect Placing a familiar brand in an unexpected context will have positive effects in terms of product awareness and recall Increased authenticity of the content Increases the realism and authenticity of the story being told Indirect product endorsement Image of the endorser character can be transferred to the product and to the user s self perception Developmental support Revenue streams that may not otherwise exist Unintended Effects Content may be compromised Content of productions with product placement may be perceived or controlled differently and vice versa Blurring of advertising and editorial messages Entertainment vs selling Controversial products circumvent advertising restrictions and bans Lack of disclosure is problematic