The Bandwagon Technique
Advertisements have been around for a very long time. They have been used first in times of war and peace during World War One and all wars after that, then in more recent times to sell items on T V, through magazines and in the newspaper. What is different about modern advertising is there are special techniques that advertisers use to try and catch the public eye. They use techniques like rhetoric, persuasion, propaganda, and logical fallacy to convince their targets that their product or service is the best out there. Some of the main methods are Glittering Generalities, Transfer, Testimonial, Ad hominen, Begging the Question, and Bandwagon. Bandwagon is seen in many commercials where it seems as if everyone is doing the same thing or has the same thing so you should buy it. It is a very important technique since it is in our nature to want to fit in to society’s way of thinking. The people designing the commercials use that against us to convince us of what is acceptable in our society and what is unacceptable. Overall they tell us what they are selling is a good fit and that’s what we want.
Utilization of the bandwagon technique has been occurring now for several years. An older, but still very accurate example of this, was in a 1985 Pepsi commercial that pushed forth the slogan “the choice of a new generation.” In this commercial you see two guys driving around in a hip, cool car, with 80’s music playing in the background. They stare at women, drive fast, and in all essence live the good life. They even go as far as to smile at the passing cop on the motorcycle as if they are old friends. Throughout the commercial you see the Pepsi logo reflect off their car, and at the end of the camera pans in on the Pepsi can in the cup holder. As the car begins to drive off into the distance, the men’s voices and the music fades out, and their slogan “The choice of a New Generation” comes on to the screen. This technique was used to appeal to its audience by giving the impression that only cool, “in” people drank Pepsi and it was the choice of the future. Potential buyers then felt that in order for they themselves to be using the latest and greatest products, Pepsi was their only choice. This commercial also appealed to people with their slogan by making them first feel inferior by not being a part of this “choice”, and then giving them the option of joining the future, and all their friends, by simply purchasing their own supply of Pepsi, It made it seem like and easy choice and a fast way to fit in with the rest of society.
Utilization of the bandwagon technique has been occurring now for several years. An older, but still very accurate example of this, was in a 1985 Pepsi commercial that pushed forth the slogan “the choice of a new generation.” In this commercial you see two guys driving around in a hip, cool car, with 80’s music playing in the background. They stare at women, drive fast, and in all essence live the good life. They even go as far as to smile at the passing cop on the motorcycle as if they are old friends. Throughout the commercial you see the Pepsi logo reflect off their car, and at the end of the camera pans in on the Pepsi can in the cup holder. As the car begins to drive off into the distance, the men’s voices and the music fades out, and their slogan “The choice of a New Generation” comes on to the screen. This technique was used to appeal to its audience by giving the impression that only cool, “in” people drank Pepsi and it was the choice of the future. Potential buyers then felt that in order for they themselves to be using the latest and greatest products, Pepsi was their only choice. This commercial also appealed to people with their slogan by making them first feel inferior by not being a part of this “choice”, and then giving them the option of joining the future, and all their friends, by simply purchasing their own supply of Pepsi, It made it seem like and easy choice and a fast way to fit in with the rest of society.
In the T- mobile commercial they depicted a flash mob dancing in and airport. It starts out with just a few random people starting to dance and then more and more people join in. During this scene everyone pulled out there phones and started to take pictures and videos. As the commercial goes on viewers notice that everyone, even the people who aren’t originally part of the flash mob, start to dance. It’s contagious to those who aren’t even part of the original thing, which is the target of the bandwagon technique. To appeal to those they don’t already have. In the commercial you also see that as one person takes out their phone, another person does until everyone on the balcony has a T- mobile phone out to capture the dancing. This commercial would make viewers think that everyone in the dance is supporting T- mobile and that the people taking pictures all have T- mobile phones. It makes you want to be part of the commercial and be there watching with the people taking pictures. It’s basically trying to send the message that if you don’t have a T- mobile phone you aren’t part of the whole group and aren’t part of the action or fun.
In the State Farm commercial, State of Confusion, it shows everyone walking around with various items like a falcon, a jukebox, a giant gumball machine, or a huge marlin. When the man’s wife calls the insurance company she asks why he bought her husband a falcon. He responds by telling her how she saved money and that “most people who switch to State farm save on average 480 dollars”. While he’s telling them this everyone is walking around, carrying what seems to be items worth about that amount of money. This implies that everyone on the street walking by them has State Farm insurance because they all have random expensive items. It uses the bandwagon technique by showing viewers that everyone has their insurance company and you should too. They also suggest that if they switch not only will you have what must be great insurance, but can also get an extra bonus of a lot of money to spend on whatever you want.
One of the most infamous companies known for instilling bandwagon techniques in their commercials is that of Proactive skin care products. In one commercial more specifically, they use a celebrity, Justin Bieber, to lead the discussion on the product, and then show a series of before and after photos submitted to them by users of the product. As you continue to watch the commercial, seeing amazing results after amazing results, it leads you to the conclusion that this product not only works, but it will change your life like it already has for so many other people, and even a celebrity. It also uses the assertion “America’s #1 Skin Care Product” to group proactive with the entire country, and make irt sound more appealing. Who doesn’t want to fell #1? This commercial has made it so all doubt is eliminated in your mind as to whether or not it is worth the money, and assures that you will be satisfied with the end result that will make you an overall happier person.
The bandwagon technique is so effective that it’s used not just in television commercials and posters, but in politics and microeconomics. Politicians use the bandwagon techniques in campaigns when deciding on what sides to take in debates. Most politicians would see what the general public or their affiliated party would want before deciding which side of the argument they should take. This is the bandwagon technique because they do what everyone else does. In microeconomics the idea of supply and demand is affected by commercials with the bandwagon technique. The more people that want it, the more it’s in demand, and the more they sell. The psychological term for what is happening is called groupthink. It is a mode of thinking that happens when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives. When someone is in a group of people, they are more likely to conform to the others than to try to stand out. This “occurs when a group makes faulty decisions because group pressures lead to a deterioration of mental efficiency, reality testing, and moral judgment. Groups affected by groupthink ignore alternatives and tend to take irrational actions that dehumanize other groups.” (Helping Psychology) In the online article Helping Psychology, the authors observe that “as human beings, we have a natural tendency not to want to be alone in what we think.” (Helping Psychology) They give the example that “if you live in a community where everybody recycles, you might feel more pressure to recycle even though, at heart, you are not recycling to save the earth; you are recycling to become part of the group of people that surrounds you.” (Helping Psychology) This example corresponds with the notion that advertising companies use to sell their products.
Works Cited:
“Bandwagon Psychology In Society and Politics-The Herd Instinct” Helping Psychology. (2008): Web 15 Oct.2011.
Works Cited:
“Bandwagon Psychology In Society and Politics-The Herd Instinct” Helping Psychology. (2008): Web 15 Oct.2011.