Belonging Needs: Family
Although the "Mom and apple pie" stereotype of domestic pleasures is an exaggeration, it does suggest some of the most important human desires for love and bonding, nurturing and caring within the family. This public image of family life is highly idealized: happy, co-operative people with solvable problems. But, in reality, many families have more difficult problems: debts, divorce, hostility, child abuse, neglect, sickness, and neurotic behaviors. Thus, when people see the idealized family in ads, we envy the illusion, desire the dream. Factory-made, mass-produced items often seek to associated with "home made" qualities. For example, convenience foods (frozen foods, microwave dinners) are "home style" or "tastes like home cooking." Fast food restaurants ("bring the family"), replacing home cooking, run ads to give permission to people (especially overworked women in two-worker families) feeling guilty about eating out. Other products promise benefits both for the family and the buyer (in the role of provider, or caretaker): "You'll be a better mother, if you'll buy this for your family."
Audience-centered ads try to associate the product with pleasant emotional feelings of "good things" already liked by the intended audience. Such feel- good ads are often not logical or true, but can be very effective.
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Key Words:care, caretaker, caring domestic down home family, family style fireside hearth home, home grown home made, home maker, home spun hospitality kitchen nurture protect responsible serene, serenity share, sharing together, togetherness tranquil Family relationship words: Mother, Mom, Ma Father, Dad, Pa, children, kids son, daughter Grandma, Grandpa aunt, auntie, uncle. Nicknames, diminutives: Bits, Lizzie, Chris, Kit, Jimmy-Jon, Jim, Davy, Maggie, Bobby, Ellie, Han, Duke,
Back to: Audience-Centered Claims
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