There are several types of fallacies – equivocation, false authority, ad hominem, appeal to ignorance, and bandwagon. Please provide two (2) different examples of advertising that show any of the above topics. Which of the above fallacies is used in each advertisement? Why do you think the advertisers used that fallacy in the ad? Did the advertisers use the fallacy effectively? If you were an advertiser, what would you have done differently to better use the fallacy?

Answer:

Bandwagon fallacy

Nike

Nike has used the bandwagon fallacy to display that Nike products are the best because they are being used by all the athletes. Hence the only logic displayed in the commercial is that Nike products should be used because all athletes are using them. This is a classic example of bandwagon fallacy since the commercial only displays snapshots of famous athletes wearing the Nike label. The advertisement is effective since it takes advantage of peoples’ desire of imitating winners. Since Nike is known for its’ sports line, it is a good way of attracting viewership. The commercial also uses the facial expressions and the cheering crowds effectively to convey a victorious feel. This indirectly conveys that the athletes are winners because they use Nike products.

As an improvement, I would have focussed slightly more on the actual products that are being used by the athletes and reduce the number of celebrities used. This would not only bring the cost of the commercial down but also highlight the product.

False Authority

Samsung Galaxy

The commercial shows LeBron James using the Samsung Galaxy phone in his normal routine. This is an example of false authority since the commercial uses and expert of some other field to sell a product that is unrelated to his field. The advertisement is not effective in my view since it focuses on the activities of a basketball player and does not focus on the product. Even if the product was related to sports, the advertisement would have been effective. Moreover, at the end of the commercial, the tagline “The next big thing is here” takes away the focus from the phone to his son.

To improve this commercial, I would highlight more features of the product rather than just having a celebrity use it in his daily routine. The focus on LeBron James should have been reduced.