U N I T 1 WELCOME TO THE ADVERTISING WORLD! This Unit deals with what advertising is and how it works. Moreover, you will learn that there are many different kinds of advertising. A. WHAT IS ADVERTISING? a. Advertising is the greatest art form of the 20th century. Marshall McLuhan, philosopher of communication theory b. Advertising is legalized lying. H.G. Wells, writer c. Advertising is the art of convincing people to spend money they don t have for something they don t need. Will Rogers, humorist d. The philosophy behind much advertising is based on the old observation that every man is really two men the man he is and the man he wants to be. William Feather, publisher e. The function of advertising is to make the worse appear the better. George Santayana, philosopher f. In our factory, we make lipstick. In our advertising, we sell hope. Peter Nivio Zarlenga, writer g. History will see advertising as one of the real evil things of our time. It is stimulating people constantly to want things, want this, want that. Malcolm Muggeridge, journalist h. I do not regard advertising as entertainment or an art form, but as a medium of information. David Ogilvy, businessman From the quotes above we can infer that advertising is a form of public communication that deals with selling goods or services. It is aimed at developing messages directed to general or selected target audiences to inform them, raise their curiosity and make them want to buy. In order to be successful, these messages need not only to give information but also to be very persuasive and establish a strong and deep contact with the target audiences to influence its choices and shape its tastes. According to the American Marketing Manager s Handbook, the functions of advertising can be summarized in the acronym AIDA. A Attention (Awareness): attract the attention of the customer. I Interest: raise customer interest by focusing on and demonstrating advantages and benefits. D Desire: convince customers that they want the product or service and that it will satisfy their needs. A Action: lead customers towards taking action and purchasing the product. GLOSSARY aimed: mirato awareness: consapevolezza evil: malvagio to infer: dedurre 20 lipstick: rossetto lying: (il) mentire to purchase: acquistare to raise: suscitare shape: forma target audience: pubblico di destinazione, pubblico cui la pubblicità è destinata; target taste: gusto, preferenza