Propaganda

Propaganda Galore

Every type of advertisement has at least one kind of propaganda. Propaganda is a systematic effort to influence people’s opinions, to win them over to a certain view or side (McClintick). Propaganda can be multiple different things, such as words, pictures, slogans, colors, anything that catches your attention in any way. Many different companies use propaganda in their commercials, all in different fashions. T-Mobile and AT&T are phone service companies and bother of them are attempting to persuade a person to use their plans, both using propaganda.

The AT&T commercial begins with a family consisting of a father and his two daughters. All three are speaking with an AT&T associate. This display of propaganda is known as plain folk, which is a propaganda technique that is supposed to make the viewer or reader that the company or person is just like you (McClintock). As the commercial plays on, another propaganda technique is used. That technique is known as card-stacking. Card-Stacking is the technique in which an advertiser uses deceptive languages, such as; half-truths, distorted evidence and weasel words (McClintock). In the advertisement the AT&T sales lady is telling them about the “rollover data,” while at the bottom of the screen is tells in a very light color that the rollover data is only good for the month after. A few seconds later it repeats the wording at the bottom of the screen but adds that it can only be used with “Mobile Share Value plans,” only. The last propaganda technique that use in the commercial is called glittering generalities. Glittering generalities is when an ad spouts positive but meaningless words or phrases. Glittering generalities are most common in catch phrases or slogans. In the AT&T commercial, glittering generalities appear at the very end, when the AT&T symbol swirls and next to it the AT&T slogan is written and the announcer dramatically says “mobilizing your world.”

T-Mobile on the other hand goes in...