Economic stress turns ordinary brands extraordinary

Feeling hungry but afraid you can’t afford a mid-meal snack?

Cheese crackers are a satisfying and cheap way to curb those cravings.

Want to take advantage of low car prices but not certain you can keep up with a monthly bill? There is a car company willing to make payments for you.

As economic uncertainty slips into American culture, brand names are swooping down to save the day.

Super heroes no longer appear to us wearing emblems and red tights. Instead, they wear brand logos and have a reassuring voice.

The economic problem is serious and real. And during this time, when advertising is critical, companies are just doing what they know how to do best: identify with their audience.

Identification is the prime motivation for all persuasion, according to communication expert Kenneth Burke.

Attempts at identification usually go unnoticed, unless someone pays them particular attention. For example, an older magazine advertisement for an offroad vehicle compares it to beetles in a glass display. The structure of the ad is a way to appeal emotionally to outdoor lovers.

A second advertisement of a different model of the same offroad vehicle, this time in a hip-hop magazine, appeals to rap enthusiasts with an image of a man with a mic and what appears to be splatters of spray paint.

The persuasive tactic is one Aristotle called “pathos,” an attraction to emotions. No strong logic exists for the brand’s affiliations with the groups, but the ads look enticing nonetheless.

The readers of each magazine might identify with the respective ads but never consider specific elements included just for them.

In the current case of television commercials and the economy, the attempts at identification are so obvious we can see them immediately.

Until now, I have never seen crackers and cheese advertised for their affordability. Crackers have always been a relatively affordable snack. But, touting crackers and cheese, a recent television commercial asks viewers, “Why snackrifice?”

I have also never heard of a car company making payments on behalf of penniless drivers. But, a recent television commercial tells drivers they will make payments for them if they lose their job. After several months, if the buyer still cannot afford the car, they can return it with no credit penalties.

Appealing to public emotion through identification is a smart move for advertisers, since people may be wary of taking on new expenses.

Spending money can help stimulate the economy, and it is important for advertisers to remind us of this reality.

Perhaps advertisers really are the super heroes.

Chrystal Doucette is the Columbia Basin Herald health and education reporter. This week she shares some of her marketing education in expressing her viewpoint about the economy.