DTC 355: Blog #3

This is the same ad used in my presentation.  The reason why I like this ad is because of the underlying theme of patriotism that accompanies this ad.  As a viewer, the theme of this advertisement is a perfect example of affect transfer.  Affect transfer is an example of classical conditioning, "wherein an emotional response from an unrelated object or event is transferred to the product being sold, simply by showing an image of the product followed by an image of the emotional object or event and repeating the procedure many times." (37)  In this instance, Tide is showing an image of their product with a red, white and blue and American flag background.  By displaying their product in this way, they are trying to appeal and tap into the consumers emotional attachment to America and their patriotism.  We often see themes like this in advertisements. As if it is a beacon of light to a thwarted ship in rough waters, we unconsciously see the red, white and blue and think, "That's American!  That's what I want."  Okay, maybe that's not exactly what we think but is definitely a recurring theme in political, advertising, and marketing campaigns that aim to appeal to American's patriotism and belief in all things American made.  It is not unusual, as Charles A. Hill points out in his article The Psychology of Rhetorical Images, for professional persuaders to move to appeal to the emotions of their subjects to incite favoritism.  Strong emotions have, and often times, override analytical approaches to situations, events, images, etc.  What is interesting about affect transfer is that like Pavlov's dog, we are easily conditioned to be manipulated, even if it doesn't feel like manipulation.  This is part of the reason why advertising is a successful multi-billion dollar business!  The purpose lies in persuading consumers to buy and by tapping into or appealing to our emotions has proven to both effective and successful.

Works cited:

rles. "The Psychology of Rhetorical Images." Defining Visual Rhetorics. Ed. Charles A. Hill and Marguerite Helmers. London: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2004. 25-40.

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