Advertisements use commonplaces to persuade and grab the attention of viewers. One way that advertisements uses commonplaces is with a jingle or catchy slogan. Many advertisements will use a catchy jingle like Nation Wide’s “Nation Wide is on your side”, or McDonald’s “I’m Lovin’ it”, to get it stuck in the viewers head. This use of a commonplace is so effective because its so easy for a jingle to get stuck in somebody’s head and once its stuck in your head, its going to be really hard to get it out.
Another way in which advertisements use commonplaces is when they invoke a deep message or meaning in their ad. A lot of the ads that really connect and move people are the ones that move them emotionally. Whether its the use of somber music and grim visuals or just a spokesperson telling you how you can help some cause, these advertisements usually resonate with a lot of the people watching them. A great example of this kind of advertisement would be all of the anti-smoking ads that show the people who have lung cancer or are missing teeth. These ads show you the dangers of smoking and what could happen to you if you don’t quit. I believe that relating it back to you and the potential dangers that smoking could cause to you is a really effective way to persuade an audience via a commonplace. Another great example of this would be the ASPCA ads that show the different kinds of animal cruelty going on in the world and how you can help to stop it. These ads play somber music in the background while they flash through different images of dogs being treated poorly. I believe that these ads are effective because they just make you so sad that they make you want to help.