Techniques of Persuasion

Persuasion is a way to convince you to think a certain way towards something. To persuade, it means that you will be influenced and your point of view will change. Just like in every advertisement and commercials, they persuade you because they want you to believe in their product, and they want you to buy it. Persuasion takes form in a positive and a negative way, but the objective is to change what you believe.

Ads and commercials use persuasion techniques such as: Humor, Macho, Friends, Family, Fun, Nature, Sexy, Cartoon, Celebrity and Wealth. They showcase these in their commercials to get your attention:


Humor - Funny or crazy images that make the viewer laugh.

Macho - Strong, tough, powerful – usually males. May carry weapons or be pictured in dangerous situations. Cowboys.

Friends - Groups of people enjoying each other and doing things together. Buddies, pals and friendship.

Family - Mother, father, children or a family. May also be intergenerational group.

Fun - Everyone is happy – smiling and laughing. Often images of people doing fun things and having a good time.

Nature - Outdoor settings – mountains, ocean, desert, snow, flowers, etc. May or may not have people included.

Sexy - Emphasis on physical attributes of models, usually female; may wear revealing clothing and be shown flirting through attitude or body language.

Cartoon - People or animals portrayed as drawing or animation, often humorous.

Celebrity - Someone most people recognize – athlete, musician, politician, or movie star.

Wealth - Expensive and elegant places and things. Big houses, new cars, jewelry, designer clothing, etc.