Without even realizing it, ordinary people are influenced by media advertising every day. Advertisers have different approaches to persuading people to buy their product. The Language of Advertising Claims, by Jeffrey Schrank, lists ten different types of claims that advertisers use to give their product a false impression of supremacy. To convince consumers of the product's superiority, Rembrandt's toothpaste advertisement bombards them with claims such as Weasel Claim and Were Different and Unique Claim, while Cover Girls' Triple Mascara advertisement uses So What Claim and also Were Different and Unique Claim. plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Rembrandt is promoting its new toothpaste using the claim Weasel and Were Different and Unique. According to Schrank, a weasel word is a modifier that practically negates the statement that follows. Words or statements that appear substantial at first glance but upon analysis disintegrate into empty meaninglessness are weasels (185). First of all, the background of the advertisement is entirely navy blue. At the top of this ad is a bold white headline that reads: Unsurpassed Whitening. In the center of the page, light rays shine from the Rembrandt container in a star pattern. On the container, in addition to the name of the product, six different qualities that this toothpaste has to offer are written. One of them reads: Fights cavities. This is a perfect example of the infamous Weasel statement. Fighting is a commonly used weasel word, says Schrank (185). The fact that it fights tooth decay means absolutely nothing. This ad also features a second complaint, the Were Different and Unique complaint. Schrank defines this type of claim as one that states that nothing else exists like the advertised product. The claim of uniqueness is supposed to be interpreted by readers as a claim of superiority (186). There are several examples of this statement in the ad. An example is the bold heading above that reads, Unsurpassed Whitening. This sentence suggests that no other brand of toothpaste can surpass Rembrandt. Another obvious example of this statement is the small wording written on the container, Superior Whitening Toothpaste. This clearly states that there is no other product like Rembrandts. All other brands essentially provide the user with the equivalent result. After inspection, the advertisement still manages to stimulate the buyer's imagination into believing that it is a better quality toothpaste. People, however, will continue to purchase the new Rembrandt Plus with peroxide, superior whitening toothpaste and fresh mint flavor. Cover Girl is advertising its new triple mascara using the claim So What and Were Different and Unique. The So What Claim, as indicated by Schrank, is a type of statement to which the attentive reader will react by saying So What? A claim is made that is true but confers no real benefit on the product (187). The background of the ad is a beautiful sky blue. Along the right side there are six white lines of different thicknesses, spaced irregularly, crossing three circles of different sizes. In front of this abstract design, disproportionately arranged bold blue headlines read: curly-fringed-thick! A mascara that does 3 tricks! The new triple mascara curls, separates and thickens lashes. Next to the headers are three triple mascaras standing forming an X. Below this formation is a mirror image, as if the mascaras!
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