Advertising

L.G. Alexander*

No one can seriously pretend to remain unaffected by advertisements. It is impossible to turn a blind eye to the solicitous overtures to buy this or that article that fill our streets, newspapers and magazines. Even in the sanctity of our living-rooms, advertisers are waiting to pounce on their helpless victims as they tune in to their favourite radio or television programs. In time, no matter how hard we resist clever little tunes and catch-phrases seep into our subconscious minds and stay there. Though they seem so varied, all these advertisements have one thing in common: they make strong-appeals to our emotions.

Fear is the biggest weapon of all. The consumer is literally scared into spending his money when he is reminded that he may die tomorrow and leave his family unprovided for; his house may be burnt down whilehe is away on holiday; that mysterious pain he has in the stomach (which he innocently took to be indigestion) is really the first symptom of a serious nervous disorder. The bait dangled before his nose is security, and he is gripped with fear when he compares his miserable lot with that of the smiling healthy-looking man in the advertisement, who was provident enough to do all right things at the right time.

But we are not always dealt with so roughly. Sometimes, it is not our fears that are invoked, but our sense of comfort. Human ingenuity has devised countless machines that take the drudgery out of housework. All you need do is press a button … Why should you freeze every winter? Its time you had this inexpensive heating system installed. Immediately you conjure up glowing visions of yourself, drifting around the house in shirt-sleeves when it's 20below outside.

The softest spot of all is our vanity. No man wants to be bald before he is thirty; no woman wants to lose her schoolgirl complexion. We are flattered and coaxed until we almost believe that we have the makings of employed are even more subtle. They persuade us that we are superior to other people and it is time we realized it. The funny man in the poster establishes immediate contact with us by making us feel that we belong to the select few who have a sense of humour. Austere black type and profoundly serious statements confirm what we knew all along: that we are highly intelligent.

No amount of logical argument can convince so much as this assault on our emotions. When a crunchy, honey-filled chocolate bar stares up at you from a glossy page, what else can you do but rush out and buy one?

(From «Sixty Steps to Précis»)

*L.Q. Alexander is a well-known author of textbooks for English language students. His books include «New Concept English», «Sixty Steps to Precis», «A First Book in Comprehension», «Precis and Composition», «Look, Listen and Learn!» and many others.

1. Найдите английские эквиваленты для следующих словосочетаний:

Серьезно, притворяться, купить тот или иной товар, заполнять улицы, накинуться на беспомощную жертву, сопротивляться, вползать в подсознание, иметь одно общее, взывать к нашим эмоциям, страх – самое мощное орудие, необеспеченная семья, загадочная боль, хотеть облысеть, убеждать нас.

2. Переведите следующие словосочетания:

to deal with, to press a button, seem so varied, the first symptom, healthy looking man, the bait dangled it is our fear that is invoked, the sense of comfort, human ingenuity, to devise complex machines, the softest point is vanity, sense of humour.

3. Ответьте на вопросы:

1) Why is it impossible to remain unaffected by ad?

2) Why aren’t people safe any more in their own homes?

3) Why does the author speak of them as helpless victims?

4) What do all ads have in common?

5) What is a powerful weapon in the hands of advertisers?

6) What has vanity to do with the impact of advertising?

7) How does the consumer fall for the advertisers’ bait?

4. Найдите в тексте доказательства тому факту, что:

1) The ordinary man is at the mercy of the advertisers.

2) Advertising is always offensive appealing to man’s instincts (fear, vanity, greed, etc).

3) The advertisers are the best expects and manipulators.