How to Identify Propaganda

wwii propaganda

Propaganda techniques are designed to change behavior. The goal of propaganda is to convince you to buy something, think something, or do something. The posters of World War II provide excellent examples of different types of propaganda techniques, but so do modern day commercials. Television programming is filled with propaganda and provides a great opportunity to practice detecting everyday persuasion techniques. Follow the steps below to identify which propaganda techniques are being used to try and persuade you to change your behavior.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

1. bandwagon

   Look for the bandwagon technique. Is the commercial trying to convince you that "everyone else is doing it!" The bandwagon technique is effective because it makes you feel you will be left out if you do not also buy the product or join the organization being promoted. McDonald's "over 99 billion served" signs use bandwagon to try and get you to eat at their restaurants. Click the image to the left for an example from WWII that uses bandwagon.

2. loaded words

   Look for loaded words. Is there a slogan that uses powerful words to make you feel strongly about someone or something? This is also called emotional appeal because it uses strong words to appeal to your feelings. This technique is successful because emotional responses are more motivating than logical responses. KFC's, "Finger-lickin' good" uses emotional words to appeal to your feelings of hunger. Click the image to the left for an example from WWII that uses the loaded word, "action."

3. testimonial

   Look for testimonials. Is the advertisement using the words and images of a famous person or expert to persuade you to do something? Testimonials work because they make you feel like you can trust the words of an expert. Many commercials effectively use celebrities as "experts" for their testimonials. Jessica Simpson's endorsement of Proactiv Solutions and Valerie Bertinelli's ads for Jenny Craig are examples of testimonials. The WWII poster on the left uses a fictional expert "Jenny" to convince people to practice cleanliness.

4. transfer

   Look for the transfer technique. Transfer is closely related to loaded words, but it uses images instead of words to bring about certain feelings that will motivate action. The transfer propaganda technique persuades because you transfer the feelings associated with a picture to your feelings about a product or person. The Coca-Cola Christmas campaign with images of Santa Claus holding up a Coke is an example of transfer. The happy feelings associated with Christmas are transferred to the product and we are more likely to feel like buying it. What feelings are transferred in the WWII image to the left?

Tips & Warnings

• This is a great exercise to do with your kids while watching TV programs. It is essential for the next generation to understand the techniques used to try and get them to do something or buy something.

• Most commercials use one or more of the propaganda techniques mentioned above. In fact, some commercials use all four in one commercial.

Resources

• Teaching Propaganda PowerPoint
• More WWII Poster Examples
• Posters of WW I and II CD ROM
• Design for Victory: World War II Posters