Have you noticed that a lot of marketing and advertising is geared toward pointing out our flaws?
- Weight loss products
- Hair removal
- Hair growth products
- Makeup
- Exercise equipment
All of these items are marketed to improve the way we look or feel. Marketers use an interesting technique; they make us emotionally vulnerable by pointing out our inadequacies, then showing how they can change those into assets. They play off the fear, uncertainty and doubt we have about ourselves.
I’m not commenting on whether this technique is right or wrong, but I do say it works. We always want to make ourselves thinner, have less hair, have more hair, dress better, et cetera. So in seeing ads like the ones below, we identify with the frumpy, hairy, hairless model, and want to look like the “after” shot. What do you think?
