Why do we always fall for it?

Reading the first few chapters of unSpun really showed me a lot. It should how effective propaganda can truly be in advertising. Although we would like to believe that we could not be swayed very easily, the chapters I read show that time and time again that we all buy into propaganda. We are constantly misled and deceived.

Chapter two, "A Bridesmaid's Bad Breath," is a perfect illustration of how advertisers are able to convince us of what they like. When you think about the whole concept of a lonely woman whose terrible breath was the reason for nobody marrying her it seems comical, but that type of tactic was able to launch Listerine into becoming a mainstream, successful business. It proved to be one of the most successful ad campaigns ever by simply playing into a consumer's fear.

When trying to prevent being deceived by the media, unSpun even gives us warning signs to look out for. One I found particularly dangerous was "The Dangling Comparative." This is when words such as "larger," "better," and "faster" are labeled on products to convince us that whatever they are trying to sell is truly the best out there. When I watch commercials and infomercials I now realize how often those words are tossed around. However it still continues to be a very powerful strategy. Consumers believe that we have the "best" of something until a short time passes and the next best thing comes along. Then we run out and buy this new "best" thing.

I used to think that propaganda was something that was saved for the military and political gain. Now I have come to see that every time I turn on the television or open a magazine I am bombarded with words and images used to persuade me to do something or buy something. Although we have caught on to what they are doing the advertisers are still succeeding in sending out their messages to the masses.