Influence & Persuasion: How Ads Hack (and How We
Un-Hack)
Learning goals
By the end, learners can:
- Distinguish
advertising, PR, and propaganda
- Spot
need-buttons (Maslow) and social proof at work
- Identify
heuristics (authority, liking, scarcity, consistency) and logical
fallacies
- Deconstruct
real Indian ads and build ethical counter-messages
0) Warm-up (5 min)
Play a quick jingle quiz (hum 3–4 seconds each):
- “Amul—utterly,
butterly…”
- “Washing
powder Nirma…”
- “Kuch
meetha ho jaye” (Cadbury)
Ask: Why do these stick? (repetition, rhyme, emotion, brand ritual)
1) Define the terrain (8 min)
Advertising: paid promotion of product/service (e.g.,
Swiggy Instamart “instant” reels)
Public Relations (PR): reputation & relationship management (e.g., a
brand apology or product recall note; think Maggi noodles crisis comms)
Propaganda: message engineered to promote a specific ideology;
often biased or misleading (e.g., political “development” highlight reels
omitting trade-offs)
Note: Online, lines blur—sponcon, influencer posts, and
“native” articles can feel like news.
2) The psychology playbook (20 min)
A) Maslow’s “need buttons”
- Physiological/Safety:
Home CCTV ads, water purifiers, health insurance
- Belonging/Love:
Fashion & telco family ads (Airtel/V!); festival campaigns (Cadbury,
Tanishq)
- Esteem/Self-actualization:
Premium cosmetics “Because you’re worth it”, luxury bikes/phones, EdTech
“unlock your potential”
India examples
- Surf
Excel—“Daag Acche Hain” → belonging + moral esteem (helping others)
- Cred
IPL → status/esteem through cool-kid humor
- Patanjali
→ safety/belonging via “natural/Indian” identity cues
Mini-activity (5 min): Show any current Indian ad.
Learners label which need buttons it presses and why.
B) Persuasion heuristics (Cialdini-style)
- Authority:
“Dermatologist recommended”, “ISRO scientist explains…”
- Liking:
beloved celebs/creators (SRK, Alia, Rashmika; regional stars)
- Social
proof/Consensus: “#1 brand”, review counts, “India’s favorite”
- Scarcity/Urgency:
“Lightning deal”, “Limited drops”
- Consistency:
aligns with prior beliefs (“ayurvedic”, “sugar-free”)
India examples
- Flipkart
Big Billion Days (scarcity + social proof)
- Zomato/Swiggy
notifications (liking via brand voice; urgency with timers)
- Smallbiz
WhatsApp catalogs using testimonials (consensus)
Red flag check: Does the claim have verifiable
evidence or just cues?
3) Common fallacies in ads (12 min)
- Appeal
to emotion: Sad music + slow-mo = donate/buy now
- Public
good: road-safety PSAs
- Risk:
cosmetic/body-image pressure on teens
- False
dilemma: Only Brand A vs Brand B in demos; ignores the market
- Red
herring: Irrelevant “tradition” to sell unrelated product
- Bandwagon:
“Everyone’s switching to…” (no source)
Spot-the-fallacy drill (5 min): Give 3 short ad
lines; learners tag the fallacy.
4) Format & platform matter (10 min)
The medium shapes the message:
- YouTube
pre-roll: 5 seconds to hook → punchy claim/visual
- Instagram
Reel: music trend + caption stickers → emotional contagion
- WhatsApp
forward: trust travels via family groups → perceived authority
- Influencer
post: parasocial trust → high persuasive power; look for #ad/#collab
(ASCI guidelines in India)
Practice: Show one message adapted to TVC vs Reel vs
WhatsApp; discuss how persuasion shifts.
5) Representation & money (10 min)
Representation is a choice—often influenced by what
“sells.”
- Stereotypes:
gendered chores in detergent ads; urban gloss vs rural caricature
- Omission:
Northeast, Dalit, disability stories underrepresented
- Tokenism
vs authentic casting/creatorship
Case dissection prompt: Pick a festive campaign; ask
who’s centered, who’s missing, and why (creative choice vs cost vs risk).
6) Hands-on labs (20–30 min)
Lab A — Ad Autopsy (Trios, 12 min)
Give each team a recent Indian ad (print, reel, or 15-sec
TVC). They fill a one-page canvas:
- Purpose:
entertain / inform / persuade
- Need
buttons pressed
- Heuristics
used
- Fallacies/bias
spotted
- Missing
info (price, side-effects, sugar, terms)
- Net
impact (helpful/harmful/mixed)
Teams present in 60 seconds each.
Lab B — Ethical Counter-Message (12–15 min)
Teams redesign the same ad:
- Add
disclosures (#ad, material risks, data use)
- Keep
creative hook but remove fallacy
- Include
verifiable claim (link/QR to source)
- Ensure
inclusive representation
Share as a storyboard or mock caption + frame.
7) Street-smart toolkit (5 min)
- Before
you believe/share/buy, ask:
- Who
paid for this? Who benefits?
- What
need is being pressed?
- What’s
missing (costs, risks, alternatives)?
- Is
there a source I can check?
- Is
my reaction mostly emotion or evidence?
- Quick
checks: reverse-image key visuals; scan fine print; look for #ad;
compare at least two sources; watch for urgency traps.
8) Assessment & reflection (5 min)
- Exit
ticket: Name one heuristic you fall for, and one habit you’ll change
(e.g., mute promo notifications; 24-hr rule before big purchases).
- Optional
homework: Screenshot three ads this week; tag their need buttons +
heuristics; write one-line “buyer’s caution” for each.
Rubric (quick)
- Analysis
(10): correct identification of needs/heuristics/fallacies
- Evidence
(10): cites or proposes verifiable support
- Ethics
(10): clarity of disclosures, inclusion, and risks
- Creativity
(5): engaging yet responsible counter-message
India-centric examples you can pull in quickly
- Amul
topical ads (wit + cultural belonging)
- Surf
Excel “#DaagAccheHain” (pro-social esteem)
- Tanishq
interfaith/second-marriage campaigns (representation debates)
- CRED
IPL (status + social proof + celeb liking)
- Food
delivery “30-min promise” (urgency; discuss road safety ethics)
- EdTech
promises (esteem/self-actualization; importance of evidence)
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