The purpose of advertising is to catch the consumers’ attention and motivate them to buy a certain product. Though this seems like a harmless business technique, it often includes secret manipulative devices that fool viewers into buying their products. A typical advertisement will strive to convey a positive and upbeat nature. Even though advertisements may come off as optimistic, they have the ability to create a reverse effect on the viewer. Advertisements commonly create a sense of dissatisfaction or unhappiness within a consumer by portraying certain desirable circumstances. Advertising is manipulative because it uses various techniques to target the insecurities and desires of an audience.
One of the main goals of advertising is to target insecurities within an audience. They do this by using celebrities and other attractive people to market their products. Using celebrities in advertisements can target insecurities by creating a certain image that is considered “acceptable” or “ideal”. This manipulative technique makes the viewer feel inadequate and may ultimately convince them to buy the product. Advertisements that use famous or attractive people as marketing icons often create unrealistic expectations within the consumer. This may either create new insecurities, or reinforce old ones. It decreases self-esteem and leads people to believe that buying a certain product can make them appear as desirable as the people who sell it. People in advertisements are not only selling the product, but they are also selling confidence, beauty, health and overall acceptance. This false perception leads people to believe that if they do not purchase certain products, then they will not be accepted or seen as confident, beautiful and healthy. Twitchell argues, “It is impossible to consume objects without consuming meaning… Currents of desire flow around objects like smoke in a wind tunnel” (Twitchell, 609). Advertisements create a misleading message that lures consumers into making unnecessary purchases. Because of this, it is difficult for a consumer to determine if they are buying a product for its actual value, or if they are only buying it in hopes of achieving the image that the advertisement displays.
The manipulative characteristics of advertisements are never obvious and often work to target a specific audience. For this reason, the viewer doesn’t realize that he/she is even being influenced. An example of this manipulation can be seen in an advertisement from 1997 selling Virginia Slims Cigarettes. This ad depicts a woman sitting on the lap of a man while pointing a teasing finger in his face. The caption reads, “Virginia Slims, it’s a woman thing”. This advertisement targets women by making the cigarettes seem like an exclusive product that is made specifically for them. The pointing finger makes it seem as though she is saying “these cigarettes aren’t for you”, while the man in the advertisement is laughing as if he is aware of this fact. This advertisement may also appeal to women because it provides a sense of superiority over men. The woman looking down on the man while pointing a finger in his face shows that she is in a position of dominance. Even the caption, “it’s a woman thing” portrays a powerful nature. It creates a sense of unity among women by completely excluding men from the product. While appearing confident and powerful, the advertisement brings a touch of femininity to the picture by dressing the woman in a dainty blue dress. The overall purpose of this ad is to target certain desires of women and lead them to believe that purchasing Virginia Slim cigarettes will help them feel confident and powerful, yet feminine at the same time.
Advertisements strive to capture the desires of their audience. This technique falls hand in hand with targeting the insecurities of the viewers. Advertisements that increase insecurities will oftentimes establish some kind of desire within the viewer. For example, a woman who feels subordinate to men will be drawn to the Virginia Slims ad because it caters to her desire to be more powerful. Although targeting insecurities within an audience is a commonly used technique, it is not the only way in which advertisements grasp the desires of their viewers.
Advertisements may depict lifestyles that viewers wish they could possess. This causes them to make purchases in hopes of achieving a similar lifestyle. As persuasive as these advertisements can be, the reality is that no product will result in the exciting life change that these consumers are searching for. Another way in which advertisements zero in on the desires and insecurities of its audience is through the use of subliminal messaging. Subliminal messages are hidden words or images that only noticed by the subconscious mind. One example of this is an alcohol ad in which a glass of ice is shown next to the product. The description alone does not seem very promising, but the picture portrays something entirely different. Within the ice cubes, there are hidden pictures of people engaging in sex. This use of subliminal messaging taps into the subconscious mind and leads one to believe that buying that type of alcohol will result in sex. If sexual activity is something the consumer desires, then they will be more inclined to buy that specific product. Tobacco companies on the other hand, use a different approach to subliminal messaging. Instead of targeting the desires of their audience, they focus more on the potential insecurities and fears. Oftentimes, a craving for a cigarette can be triggered by a sense of anxiety. Many tobacco ads prey on this notion, and use anxiety-provoking subliminal messages in their advertisements.
No matter what age, race or gender, advertising affects everyone. Its manipulative nature builds false expectations about what a certain product will provide. Especially when faced with multiple choices, a consumer will subconsciously make a decision based on the advertisement that was most influential. Unfortunately, some of the most influential advertisements are the ones that make the viewer feel insecure or inadequate. Advertisements feed on the underlying desires and insecurities of their audience. Many commercials prove to have negative effects on people, which make them believe that happiness or satisfaction can be found within the given product. Using celebrities, depicting ideal lifestyles and subliminal messaging are all common advertising techniques used to manipulate the decisions made by consumers.

Works Cited
Ackley, Katherine. Perspectives on Contemporary Issues. Independence, KY: Heinle & Heinle, 2011. Print. http://www.aef.com/industry/news/data/2003/2309 http://io9.com/subliminal-messages