Utuh Paloi Banjar Blog

‘Whiter than white’ is the battle cry or slogan of a certain brand of detergent. Why the need to create a perception that there is such a thing as whiter than white. Had there really are, then how do we perceive a ‘colour’ which is whiter than white.

Consider the following slogans”

Craven ‘A’…..made especially to prevent sore throat
Camel….for digestion’s sake, smoke Camel
L & M …..just what the doctor ordered

The above are only a few of the many advertising slogans which, if observed from a narrow angle, is merely a ‘catch line’ intended to build positive perceptions in the human mind. Looking from another angle, the slogans are not solely intended to create perceptions but more inclined to deceptions. To the simple minded consumers, to those who care only to look at the face value rather than the agenda behind such unsubstantiated claim, they will not hesitate to believe that smoking a particular brand of cigarettes can help prevent sore throat or improve digestion. And in this respect, the advertisers have succeeded to convince or to be precise to deceive, even if it is just a minority group in the community.

Other less deceptive slogans:

Benson & Hedges….the box is gold, the pleasure priceless
Consulate…..cool as a mountain stream
Peter Stuyvesant…..The international passport to smoking pleasure

Why are they considered less deceptive? ‘The box is gold, the pleasure priceless’ or ‘The international passport to smoking pleasure’ are only meant to leave an imprint that pleasure comes in different form. It could be from smoking, eating, sleeping or other daily routine. To the smokers, the pleasure of inhaling nicotine filled cigarette smoke is as exhilirating as any other form of pleasurable indulgence.

‘Cool as a mountain stream’…a slogan from consulate, a brand of cigarette known for its cooling effect to the throat. To the hardcore smokers of this particular brand, the slogan could only endorse the ‘feel’ or the ’soothing effect’ as the smoke travel down their respiratory organs. The untold mayhem it causes to the system is secondary. But then, the slogan is only meant to create perceptions with negligible traces of deceptions.

Creative double meaning slogans:

So round, so firm, so fully packed…Lucky Strike
Big, strong and friendly…Standard Chartered Bank

So round, so firm, so fully packed…have there been cigarettes that are packed in such form! If none, why the necessity to include the word ’so round…’. Is it not to induce the human brain to indulge in wild imaginations, to imagine voluptuous features of the feminine gender!

Big, strong and friendly…If the sole purpose of the slogan is to portray the stature of the financial institution, why place emphasis on the ethnic of the security personnel which in Malaysia is the epitome of male masculinity. Why focus on the Sikh with thick moustache?
Why not just focus on the available sevices or the multi ethnic personnel of the institution.

‘Just slightly ahead of our time’ is a very humble and realistic advertising slogan. Being a world reknown brand, Panasonic could have created more convincing or perhaps deceitful slogan. But Panasonic prefer the consumers to judge their products rather than having to ‘eat their own words’.

What a colourful world we live in, a world where we are allowed to create and interpret perceptions as well as deceptions.

Related posts:

1. Khir Johari’s barrel of fun
2. disebalik ‘mangilir lading batagar’
3. MUHAMMAD ALI 3
4. RMN Museum - the painful truth
5. Muhammad Ali - 2

This entry was posted on Sunday, April 5th, 2009 at 4:19 pm and is filed under ENGLISH, reflections. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.