fear_by_Jordan_Perez

FUD vs. OneLove

by   |  August 7th, 2010
Everything Else, Marketing, Social Media, Tips-n-Tools, Writing


 

 
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FUD means Fear, Uncertainty, and Dread — the special sauce for old-fashioned, fear-based advertising. The ads make you wonder: Do I have bad breath? Will my family be provided for in case of a flood or fire? Will the neighbors laugh at me if I wear last season’s clothes? Will bad guys steal my identity? If I’m a woman living alone, is it wise to go without a home alarm system? And so on. FUD relies on fear. It also often implies a situation or fact that is false or unfounded.


FUD was first used in IBM advertising decades ago, asking the prospective customer whether they believed their job would be safe if they chose to buy another company’s computing products. Microsoft, ever the innovator (!), adopted the technique and soon became known for using FUD in all their ads and promotions.


The reason that many ads still use FUD to drive their messaging is that in lots of cases it works. It plays on paranoia and our human instinct to want to fit in. Studies show that when we are made to feel uncomfortable, one of the things we do is spend money to feel better. (Extra points for ads that weave humor into the FUD message; see Old Spice Man.)


OneLove is a way of thinking about the opposite kind of messaging—advertising that shows a product or service that brings more joy into your life. Apple’s advertising uses OneLove messaging. Think about iPad ads; they don’t say “Your friends will shun you until you own one of these.” Instead, they just show happy users doing fun stuff. Consider ads for Disney World, or for the Toyota Sienna, or for Foster’s beer, or for your favorite sports team. They are a celebration of life, reminding you of the joy you can experience if you buy those products.


As we can see, both types of messages work. It all depends on the target audience and how the advertiser wants them to feel. The next time you see an ad think about what it’s doing. Is it making you feel good? Or bad? And what does it make you want to do? (“Turn off the TV” is one of the acceptable answers.) What do you think would be the best type of advertising for your client? (Hint: first, think about who the target audience is.)

Lainie Turner

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Reader comments (1)

 

That’s a scary picture


Justin | August 23, 2010
 


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