Advertising Glossary

appeal to emotion- an advertising technique when advertisers appeal to those emotional needs experienced by all humans

association- an advertising technique whereby products are associated with the people, values, and lifestyles depicted in the ads

audience- recipient of the intended communication

brand extension- extending the brand name to other products

brand equity- money earned by brand name

camera angle- the angle, high, straight, or low that a shot is taken

camera shot- the distance between the camera and the subject

camera movement- the movement of the camera position from left to right, forward or backward, up or down, stationary left or right, and zoom in or out.

caption- a phrase, sentence, or short paragraph describing the contents of an illustration such as photos or charts. Photo captions are usually placed directly above, below, or to the side of the pictures they describe.

claim- the verbal or print part of an ad that makes some claim of superiority for the product

codes and conventions- the familiar and predictable forms and techniques used by the media to communicate certain ideas or to convey a desired impression. Technical codes include camera angles, sound, and lighting. Symbolic codes include the language, dress, and actions of characters.

constructed- built, formed, or devised by fitting parts or elements together systematically

copy- text including advertiser's name, sales message, trademark or slogan


deconstruct- to take apart, analyze, or break down a media text into its component parts in order to understand how and why it was created

demographics- common characteristics used for population segmentation including age, gender, post code, and income

fad- a custom, style, etc., that many people are interested in for a short time; passing craze

fear tactic- an advertising technique whereby products are sold based on our fears

genre- kind or type

gender identity- the sex group (masculine or feminine) to which an individual biologically belongs

gender role- the set of behaviors that society considers appropriate for each sex

gender stereotype- an oversimplified or distorted generalization about the characteristics of men and women

headline- the short lines of emphasised text that introduce detail information in the body test that follows

ideology- the doctrines, opinions, or way of thinking of an individual, class, etc.; specifically, the body of ideas on which a particular political, economic, or social system is based; a set of beliefs about the world

jingle- verse or song that repeats sounds or has a catchy rhythm

jolt- a new jolt occurs each time a camera shot changes

line extension- new products in the same product category using the same brand name

media text- any form of reproduced communication, from a book, film, or CD, to an ad, a toy, or a T-shirt

mass media- the methods of communication used to reach large numbers of people at the same time - TV, newspapers, radio, magazines, films, books, the internet

marketing- the process of promoting and selling a product or service based on decisions about what the product image should be and who is most likely to buy it

parity product- products in which all or most of the brands available are identical

PSA- public service announcements

psychographics- an analysis of people's attitudes, beliefs, desires, and needs.

popular culture- mainstream culture - the arts, artifacts, entertainments, fads, beliefs and values shared by large segments of the society

positioning- based upon what the product does and who it is for

Public Service Announcement- PSAs are part of the licensing agreement of every commercial televsion and radio station and produce no advertising revenue. PSAs sell ideas, such as donating to charity.

representation- the way groups are presented in the media and popular culture, often through stereotypical images that affect our views of gender, race, class, age, and ability

slogan- short, memorable advertising phrase. When a product or company uses a slogan consistently, the slogan can become an important element of identification in the public's perception of the product.

sex role- a person's sex role is defined partly by genetic makeup but mainly by the society and culture in which the individual lives

signature- contact information

stereotypes- an unvarying form or pattern; specifically, a fixed or conventional notion or conception, as of a person, group, idea, etc., held by a number of people, and allowing for no individuality, critical judgment, etc.; over-simplified images or representations of people or groups of people based on race, gender, occupation, or age, which can be used to justify our popular attitudes and beliefs

storyboard- a series of sketches of the frames of an event, with the corresponding audio information, and shot list.

subheads- mini-headlines that appear lower in the print ad making the copy easier to readm making the ad more appealing, and helping direct the reader's attention

tag line- a phrase that follows the brand name and it is often at the end of a commercial or the bottom of an ad.

target audience- specific groups of people that media producers or advertisers want to reach

text- anything that is read. listened to, or viewed

trend- to have a general tendency: said of events, conditions, opinions,etc.

values- the social principles, goals or standards held or accepted by an individual, class, society, etc.

visual- photo or graphic