Can you figure this out??!!

Quackery / Health Fraud Lesson – Consumer Health Unit

TSWBAT to analyze an advertisement selling a consumer health product by examining appeals in

the ad.

TSWBAT differentiate between different advertising appeals by taking notes and examining

advertisement examples.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YH7_VAMMuog

Quackery vs. Health Fraud

Quackery = Doctor or advertisement that makes false claims

Health Fraud = Advertising, promotion, and sales of products and services that have not been scientifically proven safe and effective

How it works

Plays on human emotionWeakness and Fear

Why protect yourself from quackery?

Do not want to waste money on products or services that do not do what they claimed

Do not want to use harmful productsYou don’t want to delay valuable medical

treatment

How to uncover health fraud

Is there a promise of a cure for a condition, which currently has no cure

Quick/Painless ResultsDoes it claim to work by some “secret

formula?”Sold by phone, door to door, mail order, e-

mail, text messages, facebook, twitter, pinterest….

Promoted by little-known person or groupServiced through infomercialsTESTIMONIALS

Popular Types of Fraud Products

Beauty Aids Play on peoples fear of getting old, fat, and promise

youth, beauty and sex appeal forever Wrinkles, Baldness, Weight Loss

Diet Aids

Appeals to our need to feel trim and energetic

Food

Represents the most lucrative areas of quackery.

“Whole Grain”

Fraudulent Devices

Devices that are promoted to cure ailments

Logos / Slogans / Jingles

1. FDA – FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION • Part of the HHS / will recall food, medicine, etc. that prove

harmful2. BBB – BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU

• Handles complaints about local merchants3. CONSUMER ADVOCATES

• People or groups whose sole purpose is to take on regional, national and even international consumer issues.

• Examples = “Consumer Reports” Magazine; professional health organizations; Yelp

Who protects us from health frauds?

How are we advertised to…..

5 Factors That Influence YOUR Decisions

1. Price: brand names cost more, usually well advertised.

2. Convenience: Pay more for convenience. When we are in a hurry to save time we buy

3. Family/Friends4. Quality5. ADVERTISING

Top 10 Advertising Appeals

1 - Brand Loyalty: Convince person that one brand is better then another

2 - False Image Appeal: Implies that certain image will go with certain product

3 - Bandwagon Appeal: Implies everyone else is using particular product

4 - Humor Appeal: Contains catchy slogan that gets your attention

5 - Glittering Generality: Has claim that is exaggerated to appeal to an emotion

Top 10 Advertising Appeals

6 - Scientific Evidence: Includes results of surveys and lab results

7 - Progress Appeal: Emphasizes that a product is new and improved

8 - Reward Appeal: Offers special prize or gift9 - Sex Appeal: A product that hints it will

make a person sexy or attractive 10 - Testimonial: Technique uses a

spokesperson to promote the product

Commercials

Do you think you can pick out some advertising appeals in these commercials?!

1 = Hawaii Chair - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9_amg-Aos4 2 = Medifast - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ij7z9QTc4PI

3 = Axe - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgxxAwue7Fs 4 = Aflac Insurance (CC)= http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=9okKprTbrCg

5 = ESPN Sportscenter = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqL2hFMY3LQ