The Good, The Bad and The Fallacy

Gone are the days when advertising focused solely on the merit and functions of a product. This 60's Dr Pepper advert is a perfect example. The advert centres around the use of the product which is heavily featured and although sensationalised, remains on subject.

Advertising today has largely moved away from winning customers through logical argument. Although, Ronseal have maintained their no nonsense, "Does Exactly What It Says On The Tin" slogan, this is not logic. This advertisement cleverly uses the fallacy of division to make its point, "assuming that something true of a thing must also be true of all or some of its parts". It does, therefore it is. Most advertisements today commit at least one fallacy and they have become a fun part of brand engagement. Hopefully they get most of us thinking!

The most recent development in the use of fallacy in modern advertising is non sequitur. This is where the premise and conclusion of a campaign have no direct relationship. The Cadbury's gorilla and later the moving eyebrows advert were hugely popular. The advert is introduced as 'A GLASS AND A HALF PRODUCTION'. Then the classic Cadbury's purple and yellow is the only clue as to the brand throughout the advert. This is followed by the slogan "a glass and a half full of joy" at the end. There is no chocolate present in the advert. Instead there is a strong link built between the the brand Cadbury's and the emotion of joy. The association of pleasure here is highly effective without product overkill.