The Mighty Mendit: Weasel Words

Advertisements have been around for over a hundred years and have caused people to feel happy or feel like they’ve just been straight out lied too. The objective of advertisements is to convince its audience to purchase their product. Some advertisers can be misleading about their product and make it sound like something that it’s not. In some cases, this has cost company’s millions of dollars, people who realize a products bold statement is untrue they sue and often win the case. Most people nowadays look up product reviews thanks to the internet. Not everyone looks up reviews to a product they are skeptical about which can lead to them purchasing the product on an urge which has left a lot of people very unsatisfied. Mighty Mendit is a great …show more content…
A lot of advertisements will at least throw in a few weasel words like virtually, new, acts fast, and like magic. The Mighty Mendit uses several weasel words to make the audience think the product does something that it doesn’t. They said that the Mighty Mendit is the fast and easy way to mend, hem, and wear it again. They don’t actually claim how fast or how easy the product is to use. It also states the it grabs, adheres, and interlocks to virtually any fabric for a permanent repair. It doesn’t list the fabrics that the Mighty Mendit doesn’t work on or work well with it just states that it will work with most. William Luzt states that, “Virtually is used in advertising claims that appear to make specific, definite promises when there is no promise” (522). They claim that the Mighty Mendit is safe on most fabrics but what fabrics are not safe to use this product on. By using the weasel words fast, easy, virtually, and almost Mighty Mendit doesn’t actually say their product will work for you at …show more content…
Someone could see their role model or someone they enjoy and think if he or she likes the product then so may I. The Mighty Mendit is presented to you by Billy Mays which became known from being in advertisements like these. People who have recently purchased a product that Mr. Mays presented may have enjoyed that item or been impressed with its results and thought maybe this product will be just as impressive. Billy Mays was iconic to a lot of people and he convinced a ton of people to purchase whatever he was trying to sell at the time. Using celebrities is a very effective strategy to convince an advertisements audience to purchase their product.
Sixth, music can alter the emotions and make people feel positive about something or it can leave them feeling negative about something. A catchy tune can leave someone thinking about a video or product all day long. The Mighty Mendit plays a relaxing tune throughout the whole video that leaves the viewer feeling positive. Feeling positive may cause some people to purchase the product in the advertisement. This emotion changing method is unfair to the viewer and can change the way the feel about the product