In this downbeat economy, some advertisers are reaching for upbeat language. Take the new Quaker Oats catchphrase, “Go humans go,” or Coca-Cola’s current slogan, “Open happiness.” Martha and Grant discuss whether chirpy, happy ad copy can go too far. Here’s a New York Times article about perky ad copy in a sluggish economy. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Perky Advertising Language”
You’re listening to A Way with Words. I’m Martha Barnette.
And I’m Grant Barrett.
Despite the great recession that we’re in, there’s still every effort being made by advertisers to separate us from our money.
I’ve noticed that they play on our sense of frugality instead of trying to convince us that we deserve it or that we’re worth it.
Everything is recessionary spending.
They’re twisting the language a little bit. I guess advertising has always done that, right?
They try to persuade us with just the right word or the right turn of phrase.
They want our money in their pockets.
Right. It’s called spin.
It’s called spin.
Well, there was an article by Stuart Elliott.
He is the advertising beat columnist for The New York Times.
And in it, he explains that part of the common strategy of selling things to people in the recession is to use upbeat language.
You’re not going to buy a product from somebody who says, life sucks, doesn’t it?
Right? No, you’re not.
So the advertisers use words of encouragement, words that have positivity.
Right.
But I’m still laughing over the Quaker Oats campaign.
Go, humans, go.
Go, humans, go.
I mean, I know it keeps you regular, but my heavens, you know.
The art was nice in that.
It’s a man with two cardboard canisters of oats strapped to his back like a jet pack, and he’s flying off into this great future that we’re all supposed to have, right?
No, I know.
But that’s just.
A little too upbeat even for me.
Oh, is it now?
It’s not like up with people or something.
They’re just urging you.
Almost.
Go, humans.
Go up with people.
Right.
Yeah.
Humans, you rock.
You’re so great.
You’re human.
Go be your human self.
Yeah.
Maybe you’re right.
There’s something kind of inane about that.
Well.
I like my oats though, so.
Oh, I love it.
I love it.
That’s the thing is I was buying oats in the up economy, in the down economy.
What am I supposed to do now?
Buy more oats?
Well, we could talk about the motivations that come from advertising and the way that they persuade us to spend our money all day.
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