Sweet Lies or Effective Persuasion? Meet Fallacies in Advertising [+14 Examples Inside]

Does your “Ultimate Driving Machine” leak oil again? Was your laptop that “doesn’t get PC viruses” used for crypto-mining? Did your vodka that had “Transform Today” on it transform into a painful hangover? Well, can’t trust every ad you see…

It’s a cruel world we live and consume in; catchy slogans and sexy images often trick us into buying a “less ideal” product than we’ve imagined in our heads. After all, advertising is all about cutting angles and whitening stains. You know it, I know it, and we all still fall for it.

Let’s find out why. How do fallacies keep getting through our ad blindness? What types of advertising fallacies are there? Which companies use these tricks and why? Time to unravel the truth!

What is a Fallacy in Advertising?

Let’s unwrap the puzzle bit by bit, definition by definition.

As we all know, the main point of an advertisement is:
1 - to get your attention;
2 - persuade you to invest in a product/commit an action.

Naturally, advertisers can’t just straightforwardly lie about their product’s god-like properties; if they did, they’d simply get sued. Instead, marketers use half-truth manipulations or fallacies.

A fallacy is a misleading statement or a flawed argument that appears persuasive but lacks reasoning once you dig deeper. Basically, it’s a distraction from the truth, not always intentional, but still incorrect. The term itself is quite broad.

The example would include something like “bad things only happen to bad people” or “God chooses our monarch.”

A logical fallacy is a subset of fallacies that involves flaws in logical reasoning. These are more specific and occur when the conclusion of an argument doesn’t follow its premises.

Examples of these would include, "If we allow users to click push ads once, soon they'll be clicking on everything, and their online experience will collapse!" or “He criticizes the Party, he must be a nazi spy” in 1941.

There are also rhetorical fallacies. Those are basically the same as their logical twins, but they are used in non-verbal, audible communication.

14 Types of Logical Fallacies

Advertising fallacies use both logical fallacies (e.g slogans, articles) and rhetorical fallacies (TV, audio) to persuade you to take action. Exaggerated claims, false dilemmas, and generalizations – every marketer has a huge arsenal of tricks up their sleeve.

As you’ve seen, “fallacy” involves many tactics, but through the years, people have distinguished 14 seen most often. Let’s dissect each using the shampoo analogy:

1. Bandwagon Fallacy

“Everyone’s using this shampoo, so why shouldn’t you?”
If many people approve of something, we automatically assume it’s gotta be good. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case.

2. Appeal to Authority

“10 of 10 doctors recommend this shampoo!”
Using unknown authority figures or well-known celebrities is a great way to generate credibility on the spot where there otherwise is none.

3. False Dilemma

“You’re either with healthy hair and our shampoo brand or against it!”
It's as if you can’t have good hair without the brand. As if there are no other brands on the market. You get the point.

4. Hasty Generalisation

“This shampoo makes people look good in a week – it’ll do the same for you!”
Anecdotal stories aren’t backed by any research or proof. But, hey, if someone on the internet says the product does wonders, it’s totally legit, right?

5. Slippery Slope

“If you don’t buy our shampoo now, you’ll lose hair and your life!”
A single action rarely leads to an inevitable downfall of someone’s life, especially when the action is buying shampoo.

6. Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc (“False Cause”)

“After using this shampoo, my hair grew faster.”
This logical fallacy in Latin assures you that one event is a direct result of the other, although both aren’t really connected.

7. Ad Hominem

“Competitors make their clients go bald; better use our shampoo.”
Ad hominem literally means “against a person.” Instead of addressing the benefits of the product, the brand attacks a competitor.

8. Appeal to Fear

“Don’t let dandruff your life – buy our shampoo!”
Exploiting fear is an underestimated and often morally questionable advertising tactic, but hey, it’s effective nonetheless.

9. Appeal to Emotion

“Your hair deserves love, just like you do; buy our shampoo!”

10. Straw Man

“Other shampoos are loaded with chemicals – ours is all natural.”
This one is a classic misrepresentation of the competition’s products or flaws in their marketing campaigns.

11. Red Herring

“This shampoo has premium packaging – the price doesn’t matter.”
This tactic covers the low points of the product with appealing features that make you forget about them.

12. Circular Reasoning

“This shampoo is the best because it’s superior!”
This fallacy implies the condition without any evidence.

13. Equivocation

“This shampoo is a natural choice for your family,”
This one uses vague or ambiguous language (natural) to get you off logical thinking.

14. Appeal to Novelty

“Our shampoo is the latest innovation in health care!”
And lastly, something new = something good. If you’ve watched more than two movies in your life, you know this one’s misleading.

History of Using Fallacies in Advertising

While logical fallacies are now primarily used for ad placements, they are deeply engrained into our culture and history.

Ancient Roots (5th and 4th centuries BCE)

The pioneers (as with many things) are Greeks. Specifically, sophists, often criticized by Marcus Aurelius, were the masters of speech and persuasion who used fallacies to come on top in debates.

Aristotle, for instance, outlined three models of persuasion in Rhetoric: ethos (credibility), pathos (emotion), and logos (logic). While only the latter “makes sense” from a thinking perspective, Aristotle acknowledged that both former models are far more persuasive for the masses.

Birth of Modern Ads (18th-19th century)

The Industrial Revolution massively increased production, so the need to sell arose. Early print advertisements used the moss banal fallacies to appeal to the new middle class: “Cure from headaches to tuberculosis”, “Best families in London use this product.”

The 18th century was so long ago, but it seems that we still get caught by this nonsense.

Golden Age of Ads

Edward Bernays, the “father of public relations” deserves his own article.

He used bandwagon fallacy to sell Lucky Strikes as the pro-feminist “Torches of Freedom.” He used Sigmund Freud’s authority to convince the public that bacon and eggs are a true American breakfast. His banana (!!!) campaign, flavored with false cause fallacies literally changed geopolitics in Guatemala.

The golden age of media buying was filled with legendary campaigns like these.

Rise of Visual Advertising (1950-1990s)

The second part of the twentieth century marked the era of TV dominance. Visual storytelling shifted from static to dynamic imagery as our parents became glued to the screen.

The fallacies that worked best for the mass audience prevailed. Think Tide’s “Don’t let stains ruin your reputation” or the infamous Marlboro Man.

Digital Era (you are here)

The Internet and the rise of programmatic advertising should have changed everything, right? On one side, the advertising has become targeted, so the logical fallacies are completely personalized and even more persuasive than ever.

But the essence has remained the same. Influencers appeal to authority, well-known brands advertising share the bandwagon effect and rebranding boosts the appeal to novelty. You’ll see what we’re talking about in the examples section.

Why are Fallacies Used in Advertising?

You should’ve understood by now that the goal of a fallacy isn’t to lie to you. It is a far more refined instrument of persuasion that taps into your subconscious mind, where most purchasing decisions happen.

Let’s face it, Aristotle’s ideas are as based as 2 thousand years ago: when it comes to shopping, most people think with their hearts, not their heads. So, instead of focusing on rational arguments, marketers use logical fallacies to create emotional, relatable, and urgent messages to drive some action.

Examples of Fallacies in Modern Advertising

You know the types of fallacies. You know how and why they exist. You even know the history of fallacies.

Now, let’s strengthen your memory with associations. Here are the examples of well-known brand campaigns (of our time, sorry Mr. Bernays) and which logical fallacies in advertising they use:

1. Bandwagon Fallacy

Netflix – "Join 200 Million Members Worldwide"

The campaign suggests that Netflix (even if the shows are mid) is worth subscribing to simply because others are already on the platform. The fear of missing out encourages you to watch “Bridgertons” and be on the same hype wave as the world around.

2. Appeal to Authority

L’Oreal – “Lessons of Worth”

ASMR affirmations by Viola Davis might be an interesting kink for some people, however, it doesn’t give any advantages of L’Oreal products, except for a celebrity using them. But hey, you really are “worth it,” don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!

3. False Dilemma

Nike – "Train insane or remain the same"

This one is quite peculiar since, on the surface, the slogan really motivates you to be better.

However, it doesn’t take much time to recognize a rhetorical fallacy. Guys, you shouldn’t train insanely to get results (gym rat talking); you should train consistently. Also, your muscles don’t care if you wear Nike during a deadlift.

4. Hasty Generalisation

Listerine – “Kills 99.9% Germs”

We can’t even fathom how this number was calculated. What we can conclude is that despite being effective, Listerine isn’t a panacea for all mouth cavity problems.

5. Slippery Slope

Old Spice – "Smell Like a Man, Man"

Hate to disappoint, but not choosing Old Spice won’t kill your rizz or ruin your manly image. What’s curious about this video ad is that despite dramatizing the outcomes humorously, Old Spice tapped into insecurities about masculinity very effectively.

6. Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc (“False Cause”)

Red Bull – "Gives You Wings"

It’s hard to criticize Red Bull since their content strategy is pure insanity in a good way. But guys, Red Bull is still an energy drink, the caffeinated sugar bomb that gives anxiety and liver diseases more often than wings.

7. Ad Hominem

Samsung – Ads mocking Apple’s "missing" features

Throughout the years, Samsung has made fun of Apple multiple times, from direct anti-Apple ads to utilizing the company’s signature slogans in an ironic way. And while the criticisms of Apple being non-innovative are true, Samsung isn’t making any digital revolutions either.

The whole smartphone segment has been quite stagnant for the last half-decade, and Samsung is far from its golden era as well.

8. Appeal to Fear

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) – "Stop Climate Change Before It Changes You" (2008)

Although climate change won’t make you look like a Laucraftian fish-man, the logical fallacy still does its job. The benefit of social advertising for marketers is that it may freely use the appeal to fear since it doesn’t try to sell you something.

9. Appeal to Emotion

Google – “Parisian Love” Super Bowl Commercial

Oh, it’s so cute when even a soulless Privacy Sandbox corporation acknowledges the power of love. There’s not much to say; this ad is a masterclass in appealing to emotion.

10. Straw Man

Dove – "Real Beauty"

It’s cool that Dove promotes natural beauty. However, the attempt to criticize competitors’ beauty standards in their ads is quite hypocritical when you research Dove’s casting for these ads.

Namely: “no tattoos, no scars, flawless skin, beautiful hair, and bodies that fall nicely between “not too curvy” and “not too athletic”

Also, remember that all of these photos still use a fair amount of retouching.

11. Red Herring

McDonald’s – Happy Meal

We hate to break it to you, but the emphasis on cool toys and limited offers is a classic example of the red herring. By emphasizing the excitement of the toy, the ad distracts us from considering the health implications (don’t get us started) of the food itself.

12. Circular Reasoning

Tesla – “Navigating the Future”

Tesla promotes itself as the future of driving because it’s Tesla, and Tesla is the future of driving. How is it different from a million of competitors in the electric car industry? The ad certainly won’t tell you.

13. Equivocation

Coca-Cola Lite – "Sweetened with Cane Sugar and Stevia"

Natural means good, right? Well, that’s what most people are used to because of logical fallacies. Unfortunately, even if the sugar is natural, it still has all the same negative effects when the dosage is high enough. And guess what? The dosage in Coca-Cola meets the requirements.

14. Appeal to Novelty

BMW – The New BMW iX, The Ultimate (Electric) Driving Machine

Everyone knows BMW’s famous slogan, “The ultimate driving machine.” No wonder why they refurbished it to promote their new electric vehicle. However, in the past, the slogan was backed up by motorsports victories and superb handling combined with premium interiors.

In our case, the ad doesn’t really showcase any notable features of the car, except for the fact that it’s big and electric (like every other EV on the market). That’s the appeal to novelty for you.

How to Not Get Caught by Fallacies in Advertising

We’ll be honest with you: unless you live in a cave, it’s almost impossible not to get tempted by flashy advertising in the days of hyper-capitalism. The fallacies have existed for so long because they work so well.

One simple piece of advice for regular folks is to turn on their heads when they see a seductive slogan.

One simple piece of advice for the advertisers: logical fallacies won’t work as well as they do in the examples above if they don’t accommodate modern needs.

Luckily, there is Epom white-label DSP – the beacon of RTB advertising that will deliver your message effortlessly, transforming a fallacy into persuasive ad tactics.