Propaganda

Examples and explanation.

What is Propaganda?

� Propaganda is…

� ideas or statements that are spread in order

to help a cause, a political leader, a

government, etc

� Often false or exaggerated

Propaganda Types

� BANDWAGON:

� “everyone is doing it”

� Appeals to “conformist” in everyone

� No one wants to be the one left out

Example of Bandwagon

� Girl dressed in

American flag

reaching out to the

viewer

� Telling them to be

patriotic

Example of Bandwagon

� The group of people

in this advertisement

represents the “in”

crowd.

� The ad is showing

that you can be a

part of the “in” crowd

by having a Verizon

phone.

Propaganda Types

� TESTIMONIAL:� Celebrity endorsement

� Products and services are sold based on a celebrity telling “regular people”that they use the product/service

� Selling the idea that a regular person can be like/look like a celebrity by using the product/service

Example

� This ad is selling the

idea that if you use

this Cover Girl

makeup, you can

look like Rihanna.

Example

� Drink

Gatorade=be

the most

amazing

quarterback

ever, like Peyton

Manning.

Types of Propaganda

� PLAIN FOLKS:

� Equating a person or product seem like

something that is every-day, appealing to

“normal folks”

� Used a LOT in political advertisement

Example

� This advertisement

is from WWII,

drumming up

support showing

how everyday

people are

supporting the war

Example

� This is an image

from a Barack

Obama presidential

campaign video.

He’s sitting around

the kitchen table,

talking to regular

folks, listening to

them, etc…

Types of Propaganda

� TRANSFER:� use of a memorable image to sell products

� Works REALLY well with products for kids

Example

� Kids see a fun

cartoon character,

they bug their moms

for the product that

that cartoon

character says.

Example

� This works with

characters that are

already established,

too, such as Disney

characters snack

products.

Example

They will put a

Disney Princess on

ANYTHING…

…because it

SELLS!

Propaganda Types

� FEAR:

� This one is also used in a lot of political

advertisements

� Also works for cars, burglar alarms,

insurance, etc

Example

� During WWII, one of

the biggest fears

was that of spies

from Nazi Germany

or Communist

Russia.

� This ad tells us that

if you say too much,

you could kill a

soldier.

Example

� This ad from the

United Kingdom

plays on every

parent’s fear of

losing their child to

enforce the speed

limit.

Types of Propaganda

� LOGICAL FALLACIES

� Using “logic” to arrive at a false

conclusion

� Used a lot in conjunction with fear

Example

� Hitler is bad

� Carpooling saves

resources that can

be sent to war

� Therefore, if you

waste resources,

you must be a Nazi

supporter.

Example

� This is an extreme

example of a logical

fallacy, but a good

one.

� 2 is a number, and 1

is a number, so 2

and 1 must be the

same number.

Types of Propaganda

� GLITTERING GENERALITIES:

� Using positive “buzz-words” to make people have a favorable outlook on something.

� Again, used a lot in political advertising

� Words like “American,” “family values”

Example

� This ad from WWII

encourages men to

fight for their women

at home

� Plays on innocence,

virtue, and values

Example

� This is a shot from a

John McCain

presidential

campaign video.

� Notice the buzz

words like

“prosperity” and

“peace”.

Types of Propaganda

� NAME-CALLING:

� Opposite of glittering generalities

� Uses negative “buzz-words” to make

you have a negative opinion of

something.

� Again, used a lot in political ads

Example

� Here’s an example of a

political ad where

Charles Taylor’s

opponent says that he

lost thousands of

American jobs

Example

� Another political ad

example

� Uses the negative

buzz word “lie”