Advertising's Fifteen Basic Appeals Summary

This summary is about Jib Fowles essay ; "Advertising's fifteen basic appeals " .

In his essay, Fowles shows the effects of advertising on our daily lives throughout a large analysis of the methods and strategies adopted by advertisers to appeal consumers.

Fowles affirms that advertisers base their work on two main ideas : the emotional part that affects the consumer subconsciously, and the focal information product as illustrated by his sayings" Thus, most advertisements appearing in national media can be understood as having two orders of content. The first is the appeal to deep-running drives in the minds of consumers. The second is information regarding the goods or service being sold".

The writer presents a classification of 15 "basic appeals" (originally created by Henry A. Murray), that appeal to the consumer's mind .Fowles believes these basic appeals happen to be an essential part of the American advertising. These appeals, according to Fowles and to Murray are directed to those "unfulfilled urges and motives swirling in the bottom half of our minds". For instance, the need for affiliation, attention, to feel safe, aesthetic sensations, guidance, sex , autonomy , nurture, guidance, to aggress, prominence, to satisfy curiosity, and physiological needs such as food, drink, and sleep, are one of the basic needs included in the list.

According to Fowles, the need for sex is the most controversial need of the list. This need has been much written about, due to its provocative character. Lately, this appeal is more likely avoided. It may be too offensive, and often distracts from the implicit message of the advertisement.

To support his concepts, Fowles examined several advertisements, judging that some of them presented positive images "two women confide and drink Maxwell house coffee together [...] Coca-Cola does not even need to portray the friendliness; it has reduced this appeal to "a coke and a smile" .This approach (need of affiliation) is widely used in advertisements. People worry more about their social life and have raised a "phobia" of losing friends