Ann Mcclintock Propaganda Techniques In Today's Advertising Summary

In the essay, “Propaganda Techniques in Today’s Advertising”, Ann McClintock talks about how propaganda in today’s world works. McClintock states seven different types of propaganda techniques and gives a thorough description of what each technique stands for and how it is used to sway the opinions of the people. Some propaganda techniques are called “Name Calling”, “Glittering Generalities”, “Testimonial”, and so on (698, 699). After she finishes describing the techniques, McClintock tells the reader that the reason why propaganda techniques work and how they are able to affect our emotions instead of our minds, which causes the individual to act on his or her emotions instead of his or her own opinion. McClintock wants her readers to be aware

We have all seen advertisements in magazines, billboards, commercials, and even the internet filled with attractive women and men who are used to grab the attention of consumer and sell products on any type of media source. This would fall under McClintock’s second advertisement technique, “Glittering Generalities”, that advertisements are used to sell goods to consumers (698) and sex sells as Joyce Garity points out in her essay “Is Sex All That Matters?” Garity speaks about how advertisements use sex appeal to grab the attention of readers and how their minds are dragged into a world of fiction, filled with beautiful people who seem to have a carefree lifestyle, all worldly possessions one could possibly want, and the sex appeal that most if not all people desire in the advertisement(756). Garity is a social worker and her essay primarily focuses on Elaine, who is a young woman, alone, and carrying her second child. Garity hands Elaine a magazine and inside that magazine, advertisements show “junior fashion models in snug jeans”, “a barely clad young couple sprawled on a bed”, and a “waif-thin girl draped stomach down across a couch, naked, her startled expression suggestion helplessness in the face of an unseen yet approaching threat” (756). Elaine goes through the magazine and wishes she could be the girl in the “young couple sprawled in the bed” (757). Even Garity wanted to be that girl in the advertisement. Garity states

We see celebrities holding or drinking beer on billboards by representing the label, a major beer label partnering with sport franchises, and beer leaning on patriotic symbols or slogans to sway the opinions of its consumers, as well as how alcohol can improve the lifestyle of the consumer. Two techniques are used from McClintock’s list. “Transfer”, which associates a product with a symbol that people respect, and “testimonial”, the most-loved and most-used propaganda techniques, which use celebrities to make the product sell more efficiently (699). For Budweiser, we see them use the slogan “America’s Beer”, and for Bud Light we hear them say “Proud Sponsor of the NFL” on billboards, TV commercial, or advertisements in magazines with a well know football player from the favorite team in the region is placed next to the beer’s label. Joan Dunayer, author of “Here’s to Your Health”, goes into greater depth on how the alcohol companies use propaganda to make the watcher believe that alcohol can improve his or her life. Dunayer talks about the myths of alcohols that affect the emotions of people, making them think that alcohol can be beneficial instead of harmful. Dunayer describes the four parts of the alcohol myth: success, attractiveness, athletic improvement, and social success. Dunayer points out that alcohol actually causes a lack of success among the workforce and students, alcohol doesn’t cause