Things You Should Know: Propaganda Techniques
Episode 17
Does it feel like the world’s falling apart!?! Has your favorite celebrity been appearing in lots of commercials lately?? Professor Pipes has you covered! This week, she’s here to tell you all about propaganda techniques, how they’re used, and why they’re problematic. Propaganda: a thing you should know!
Transcript
Hello and welcome to this “Things You Should Know” episode of Piper’s Paraphrases. I’m Professor Pipes, and today I’m here to tell you that you should know about propaganda!
Each year as election time rolls around, everyone’s a bit inundated by political ads full of propaganda, but these same propaganda techniques are used all over the place in advertisements for everything from elections to electricians or from politics to potatoes. Since you’re constantly surrounded by it, I think we’d better cover just a few common propaganda techniques. Namely: bandwagon, testimonial, plain folks, transfer, and fear.
The bandwagon propaganda technique is when a company or individual tries to get you to do something by suggesting that “everyone else” is doing it. It can look like an ad saying that 50 million people buy this company’s phone service, or a commercial saying, “everyone in town LOVES this restaurant” or simply showing giant crowds of people all drinking a particular soda. Why does bandwagon work? Kind of for two main reasons. One, we assume that if a bunch of people have bought a product, it must be good. And two, nobody wants to be left out. That’s why kids think they need a particular brand of shoes or water bottle because “everyone else” has them, and they want to look cool, too. Why is it problematic? I mean, hasn’t your dad or your aunt or your grandma ever said, “well if everyone jumps off a bridge, would you do it, too?” Just because “everyone” is doing something, doesn’t mean it’s a good thing. Lots of people do lots of bad things, too. And even if it’s good for one person, that doesn’t mean it’s a perfect fit for you.
A testimonial is when a person, generally a celebrity, tells you about how great the product or cause is. This looks like Taylor Swift in a Coca Cola commercial or Harry Styles in an ad for Honda, or Robert Downey Jr appearing in a commercial for the Make a Wish foundation. It also looks like celebrities endorsing politicians and telling the public whom they should vote for. Why do testimonials work? Well, if you really like a celebrity, you’re more likely to trust them and listen to what they say, so maybe you’ll buy, donate to, or vote for whatever they’re advertising. Why is it problematic? While celebrities are popular, that doesn’t make them experts. If Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson implies that candy bars cure the common cold, that doesn’t make it true. He’s not a healthcare expert or a doctor. But we might still listen to him because, well, have you seen him? Oh, and also we just love candy.
Plain Folks is a technique that is used to make a product or politician seem like it’s ordinary and of the common man. This can look like a company advertising a product by showing ordinary people using it. Look at me being so normal and ordinary and drinking this drink. Mmmm generic drink. This can also look like politicians eating at a fast food restaurant or visiting a bowling alley. Things we ordinary people do! Aww. They’re just like us! Sometimes plain folks and testimonial kind of combine, such as with social media influencers. They’ll advertise products, but they also usually try to act like they’re totally normal, down to earth people, just like you and me. Why does plain folks work? Well, we’re more likely to trust a person if they seem normal or like us, and more likely to buy a product if it seems useful to people like us. Why is it problematic? Seeming down to earth doesn’t MAKE you down to earth, and showing normal people using a product doesn’t mean it’s actually something normal people want or need.
The transfer technique, aka association, uses symbols that are well liked or respected to make something unrelated seem good. You see this a lot with the American flag. Lots of companies and politicians put flags in their commercials, on their signs, or even as a pin on their suit. Transfer can also look like a cross or dove used in an advertisement to evoke religion or a lab coat worn by a random actor so they look like a doctor or scientist. Why does transfer work? Often the symbols that are used evoke a strong emotional response. Unconsciously we think of our religious beliefs or our patriotism or our trust in medicine and associate that with whatever is being advertised. Why is it problematic? The thing about transfer is, the physical object has nothing to do with the product, person, or idea being advertised. I can hold up a cross, but that doesn’t make me a priest or pastor. I can hold up a flag, but that doesn’t mean I’m a political expert or even that I have the best interests of the country at heart. I can wear a lab coat. Well, actually I am wearing a lab coat… But that doesn’t mean I’m a doctor or a scientist! See, I was using this technique and you didn’t even know it. I’m so sneaky.
Fear is a propaganda technique that says or implies that something terrible will happen if you don’t vote for a certain person, buy a certain product, or support a certain idea. It can sound like someone saying that there’s violence everywhere, chaos in the streets, civil unrest, riots, and rebellions, and you are in danger!! But So and So is here to stop it. It can also take the form of public safety commercials, where they show a horrible car accident and then remind people not to text and drive or they show someone terribly ill and dying in a hospital and then tell people not to smoke. Why does fear work? Fear is a really powerful emotion. If we are genuinely afraid, that definitely has an influence on the decisions we make. Why is it problematic? Well, like all propaganda techniques, it can be used for good or for bad. It’s a great idea to encourage people to be healthy and to practice safe driving. However, the idea behind fear is misleading, since it implies that these terrible things are BOUND to happen if you don’t do what they tell you to do, vote for what they tell you, or buy a certain product.
That’s all for this “Things You Should Know” episode of Piper’s Paraphrases. As always, thanks for watching. Now go forth, read a bunch, and be good people. And remember, if you don’t, BAD THINGS WILL HAPPEN!!
