Analyzing Human Behavior through Advertising

Media is so rampant, a whole chapter of human history can be written only based on advertisements and commercials. Not only does the media show the progress of human history, but it also shows human emotions, social behaviors, moral values, and many more attributes. People are literally surrounded and bombarded with advertisements; with every turn of a head or click of a button they hear and see commercials, billboards, and radio announcements. These forms of media extract the important wants and needs of society. Some of these wants and needs include food, fashion, sex, health, and money. This essay will not only analyze human behavior through advertisements, but explore the major advertising topics and strategies.

People might simply conclude that the motive of the advertising industry is to sell their product. However, they fail to recognize the science that goes into advertising. Yes, the advertising industry is trying to lure people into buying their product, but they do not do it blatantly. Having developed a guard against advertisements, people automatically tune out, or flat out reject sales messages. Of course marketers have realized that problem, so they developed a way to work around the ignorance of the general masses. Advertisers either entice consumers with sexual references or they persuade consumers through strategic language such as weasel words. Weasel words are such as “many”, “best”, “like”, or “help”. These words appear and retain their definition until placed into context. Another words they mean one thing by themselves, however when used strategically they mean nothing. No matter how hard people try or how aware they are, at one time or another they will fall in to an advertising trap.

One of the most com...

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...e is wearing. However when both men and women are sexualized and placed in the same picture, the idea of male dominance emerges. Through numerous depiction of male dominance over female people learn to accept it, not because it is right, rather they accept it because it appeals to them. Sex is the message that carries across any advertisement; it captures people’s attention and subconsciously convinces them that the product will give them more sex appeal.

Society is built upon and run by media, and the people who live in it have adapted to a lifestyle of constant consumption. Following the trend is not bad, however it is important not to be mindless consumers. Advertising industries will constantly bombard people with their crafty advertisements and commercials, although unavoidable, people can take a step back and analyze their surroundings and how it affect them.