Colour and Emotions in Marketing

Advertising Appeals: Numerous authors have discussed the various types of persuasive appeals that are used during advertising. Although most of their work overlaps, there is a difference in the way each author has categorized the various appeals, as well as in the degree of importance they have allotted to the appeals with regard to aiding brand recall. (Scott, L.A. (1994)

Advertising appeal may be defined as

“The approach used to attract the attention of consumers and/or to influence their feelings toward the product, service or cause”.
(Belch & Belch 1995, pp. 288)

An advertising appeal can also be viewed as

“Something that moves people, speaks to their wants or needs, and excites their interest”
(Moriarty 1991, pp. 76, quoted in Belch and Belch 1995, pp. 288)

2.2 Informational/Rational and Emotional Appeals: Emotional Appeal: Persuasion based on non-logical, non-intellectual aspects of viewer's personality. Appeals to feelings rather than reason. Self-preservation (strongest motivator of human behavior), Lifestyle, Power, Prestige, Good taste, Status/Class, Patriotism, Security, Fear, Humor, Sex, etc. Appeal to emotion is a logical fallacy which uses the manipulation of the recipient's emotions, rather than valid logic, to win an argument. Scott, L.A. (1994) This kind of appeal to emotion is a type of red herring as well as encompasses several logical fallacies, including:
• Appeal to consequences
• Appeal to fear
• Appeal to flattery
• Appeal to pity
• Appeal to ridicule
• Appeal to spite
• Wishful thinking

Belch and Belch (1995) have broken down the appeals into two broad categories: Informational/rational appeals as well as emotional appeals. They describe informational/rational appeals as those that “focus on a consumer’s practical, functional or utilitarian need for the product or service” (Belch and Belch 1995, pp. 288) such appeals highlight the feature as well as benefits of owning or using a particular brand. The