Vicks Nyquil Propaganda

Connie Yonn

Professor Zaragoza

English 1

November 23, 2015

Good Sleep is Vicks Nyquil Propaganda is a technique use to persuade the audience’s opinions to one’s favorite side or to win the audience over. Propaganda does not concern whether the messages that are being delivered out are good or bad, true or false. Propagandist overall focus is to have the audience’s believe the messages even if the messages are full with deceptions or lies, but just as long as the audiences are convinced and changed their opinion (McClintock, 1998). Today advertisements uses propaganda techniques as Ann McClintock claimed in her article, “Persuasive Appeals in Modern Advertisement” in an effort to advertise the product to consumers who are subconsciously unaware

Glittering generalities are defined as an emotional appealing phrases or words uses to associate with highly valued concepts and beliefs that it carries conviction without support or reason (McClintoch, 1988). Some words and phrases that are consider glittering generalities are Freedom, Justice, Democratic, and All-Americans, which have a strong and affirmative tone that can motivate positive feeling from people (McClintoch, 1988). Vicks Nyquil commercial generally states that people do not need their mommy when they are sick and all they need is Vicks Nyquil. The commercial took place late at night, when the middle aged man who is sick, grouchy asking his wife to call his mom. The wife appears irritated and cannot sleep because the husband is tossing and turning. The wife then looked at husband and tossed him the Vicks Nyquil. This demonstrated Vicks Nyquil could take the place of mom if the husband consumes the product. The commercial later showed the husband slept peacefully and snored the night away. Even with a cold, an individual can sleep like a 200-pound baby. The commercial target audiences are general house whole families, husbands, wives, and adults who are sick and all they need to rely on is Vicks Nyquil for good night’s sleep. The commercial emphasized on the Vicks Nyquil bottle and the tablets with a green logo in the center of the bottle so it stand out to the

McClintoch discuss Propaganda is a systematic approach used to change peoples’ opinion to one’s side or win the audiences over. Propaganda has no concern whether the message projected out is right or wrong, false or truth as long as the messages convince the audience in the favor of advertisements intention. McClintoch states facts about today advertisements uses propaganda to assist in advertising their products or messages. Most Americans are unaware of these hidden messages and grasp on to the appearance of glamour approach that advertisements uses in their product. Vicks Nyquil advertisements incorporate the dark green color, triangle logo encircles the brand name, and slogan to capture the audiences focus to the product. Vicks Nyquil commercials use propaganda techniques such as glittering generalities to glamourize and focus on the production, plain folks to relate to audiences as a common person, an average Joe in meaning, “I’m just like you” and enforce the “trust me ideas,” and bandwagon approach saying most Americans take Vicks Nyquil, why don’t you? All of these propaganda techniques are common terms to convince the audiences to believe, trust, and purchase the ideas, but has no prove in scientific logic or evidence to the