The Art of Deceptive Advertising. Half of Americans seem to believe in ads while the rest think they are dishonest.
Moreover, recent studies show that Americans tend to distrust certain types of ads more. For example: 26% of people believe that financial insurance ads are not trustworthy and it’s only the second least trusted ad type.
Take a look at this awesome infographic about the Art of Deception in Advertising and see how big brands use advertising tricks to influence our buying decisions.
These ads have doubled the value of a company’s product just by making it look exceptionally good.
From the infographic, you’ll learn:
– What are the top 10 least trusted ads?
– Glue, shampoo, and hair spray are used to make FOOD in ads look yummy!
– What are the most popular tricks used to make products look more appealing?
– How hotels manipulate their photos to lure their guests?
– We know how much Americans love commercials, but don’t you think such advertising practices are getting out of hand? What would your readers think? Perhaps you can share the infographic to get some reactions. It’s free to use, but please give us, the creators, credit as source.
If you drool over that gleaming pure honey flowing over steamy mashed potato you’ve seen on TV, hold your horses. You’re likely salivating over motor oil and freshly microwaved wet tampon placed behind the potato. These are some of the common techniques used by ad people to make products more visually tantalizing in advertisements. Other tricks include:
– Use of hairspray to make fruits and vegetables appear fresh
– Replacing actual ice cream with mashed potato for a more solid appearance
– Putting antacids to create fizzle in soda
To show the disparity between ads and actual products, we’ve found an infographic that compares the fake shoot and real product of popular food, hotel and fashion brands. Alarmingly, the actual items look a lot different from their ads.
Sometimes the fake out is funny especially in hotels and resorts. For example, an ad shows an infinity pool using a low angle, but in truth, the pool is more like an oversized jacuzzi. You’ll find more hilarious if not annoying hotel ads in the infographic.
You’re also probably familiar with the extensive “photoshopping” of makeup or fashion models until they appear emaciated humans who barely resemble normal beings.
If you think these little trade tricks are harmless or at least irritating because you’ve been had, the American Medical Association thinks they have serious consequences. It believes these ads of unrealistic body images are linked to eating disorders and “other child and adolescent health problems.”
We have regulations that monitor fake advertising in the U.S., but clearly, we need more. In the meantime, big and small companies owe it to the American consumers, the lifeblood of their business, to only show ads that truly represent their product or service.
