For many years, beauty has been used as a marketing and advertising tool. In this essay I
would like to explore the meaning and use of beauty in advertising, what the aesthetic
function of advertising means and how it is related to the persuasive function and the
perlocutionary effect.
Advertising uses beauty as a communication tool to increase interest in a company’s
product or service through making it aspirational. The prevalence of attractive models in
advertising testifies to the general belief concerning their efficacy as a vehicle of
promotion. Attractive models might be effective in altering individual’s impressions of
products. Beauty can infer personal characteristics, abilities and motivations which can
support the promotion of various products.
The aesthetic criteria remain centrally relevant to many advertising decisions. Many
products have aesthetic components, most often by conscious design. In fact, countless
products are differentiated from others only on the basis of aesthetic criteria. This implies
that aesthetic elements form important dimensions for information processing and
attitude formation. Sometimes aesthetic motives may dominate, or even overwhelm
utilitarian motives, meaning that sometimes aesthetic attributes may be determining
factors in consumer choice.
Beauty in terms of advertising is defined by adjectives such as attractive, good-looking,
classy, sexy, elegant and pretty. Things are perceived to be beautiful depends on the
person you ask, because judgment of beauty is non-cognitive and is the pure feeling of
the observer (‘beauty lies in the eye of the beholder’). If somebody thinks that the product
or person in the ad has features that fit my sense of beauty then this could lead to the
perlocutionary effect. [...]
Table of Contents
1. Section One – Advertising as Communication
1.1 Does beauty really persuade people to buy?
2. Section Two – The World of Advertising
2.1 Essential skills for advertisers or people working in the advertising industry
Aims and Themes
This work explores two questions about advertising: how beauty contributes to persuasion and consumer purchasing decisions, and which qualities and skills are important for people working in the advertising industry. It considers aesthetic and persuasive communication alongside the distinction between qualities described as innate and skills developed through education and experience.
- Beauty as a tool of advertising communication
- Aesthetic appeal, persuasion and consumer response
- Product characteristics and differences between consumers
- Creative, interpersonal and strategic qualities in advertising
- Training and professional skills in advertising careers
- The responsibilities of art directors and copywriters
Excerpt from the Book
Does beauty really persuade people to buy?
For many years, beauty has been used as a marketing and advertising tool. In this essay I would like to explore the meaning and use of beauty in advertising, what the aesthetic function of advertising means and how it is related to the persuasive function and the perlocutionary effect.
Advertising uses beauty as a communication tool to increase interest in a company’s product or service through making it aspirational. The prevalence of attractive models in advertising testifies to the general belief concerning their efficacy as a vehicle of promotion. Attractive models might be effective in altering individual’s impressions of products. Beauty can infer personal characteristics, abilities and motivations which can support the promotion of various products.
The aesthetic criteria remain centrally relevant to many advertising decisions. Many products have aesthetic components, most often by conscious design. In fact, countless products are differentiated from others only on the basis of aesthetic criteria. This implies that aesthetic elements form important dimensions for information processing and attitude formation. Sometimes aesthetic motives may dominate, or even overwhelm utilitarian motives, meaning that sometimes aesthetic attributes may be determining factors in consumer choice.
Beauty in terms of advertising is defined by adjectives such as attractive, good-looking, classy, sexy, elegant and pretty. Things are perceived to be beautiful depends on the person you ask, because judgment of beauty is non-cognitive and is the pure feeling of the observer (‘beauty lies in the eye of the beholder’). If somebody thinks that the product or person in the ad has features that fit my sense of beauty then this could lead to the perlocutionary effect.
The aesthetic function of advertising is strongly linked with the persuasive function, meaning that both functions aim to make people buy the advertised product or service through the support of beauty and aesthetical aspects in the advert. If the advert appeals to the ‘target’ then the perlocutionary effect will be that the viewer will buy the product or service of the advertisement. Therefore, it is essential for adverts to be both persuasive and aesthetic. Using beauty without substance or context could be a hindrance for a perlocutionary effect as the consumer sees no relation to the product or its benefits.
Chapter Summaries
Section One – Advertising as Communication: This section discusses beauty as an advertising tool and its relationship to aesthetic appeal, persuasion and purchasing decisions. It considers differences between products and consumers, as well as possible responses to attractive models.
Section Two – The World of Advertising: This section examines qualities and skills associated with advertising careers, distinguishing those the author considers innate from those developed through education and experience. It also discusses the responsibilities of art directors and copywriters.
Keywords
advertising, beauty, persuasion, aesthetic appeal, consumer behaviour, perlocutionary effect, purchasing decisions, advertising careers, creativity, communication skills, marketing skills, art direction, copywriting
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this work about?
It examines the role of beauty in advertising and the skills and qualities associated with working in the advertising industry.
What are its central themes?
The main themes include aesthetic appeal, persuasion, consumer response, creativity, professional skills and advertising careers.
What questions does the work address?
It asks whether beauty persuades people to buy and which skills are important for people working in advertising.
What method does the author use?
The author presents two discursive essays, using explanations and illustrative examples to examine advertising and professional skills.
What is covered in the main discussion?
The discussion considers how aesthetic appeal relates to persuasion and consumer choice, then examines qualities and learned skills relevant to advertising work.
Which keywords characterise the work?
Key terms include advertising, beauty, persuasion, aesthetic appeal, consumer behaviour, creativity and communication skills.
How does the work distinguish between consumer and industrial goods?
It discusses emotional appeal in consumer-goods advertising and contrasts it with the emphasis on functions, technical features and price in an industrial example.
Which advertising roles receive particular attention?
The work discusses art directors and copywriters, including their responsibilities and the combination of creative and learned skills associated with their roles.
- Citar trabajo
- Silke Tischendorf (Autor), 2003, Advertising in Europe: Advertising as Communication / The World of Advertising, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/16373
