“Gain”
is a Negative Impact.
Advertisers nowadays do not submit to
having the safe, accustomed and stereotypical advertising which is considered
as the boring one, and thus apply “More Pain, More Gain” to sell certain
product. So, it becomes the magic key of some advertisers to stand out from the
clutter. Other than achieving higher sale of brand, the ultimate goal of “gain”
is undoubtedly being famous.
When brands intend to use this tactic to
advertise themselves, the relationship between one brand and its particular
target audience is the primary consideration. In the point of view of most
brands, the good brand image is vitally important to them for building up a
loyal relationship with a brand. However, in “More Pain, More Gain” advertising,
brand looks forward to “different” rather than “better” brand image. Between
these two terms, the similarity is creating visibility of brand in the
competitive market, but “different” is more influential than “better” in this
case. “Better” can be defined as stereotypical advertising, it depicts the
product in idealized image aesthetically, such as happiness, rich, and health.
This is the mainstream of most current advertising is doing. For those brands
who intends to be “different”, as Autoway (Figure 3) utilizes the fear appeal
to make people feel emotional pain. The term “different” is actually risky for
a brand to create its brand image.
“Fear is a primal
emotion associated with the ancient structures of the brain. Throughout
emotion, fear has effectively protects our species from deadly threats in the
environment. The (un)conscious recognition of a threat leads to motivation to
confront or flee it, a processes known as the fight-or-flight response. Research has shown the technique to be
flawed. Fear appeal that are too intense can either make the “flight” reaction
active in the target group (leading to message avoidance) or can “freeze” or
“paralyse” them (impairing further processing of the message.” (Andres, Leeuwen
& Baaren, 2013)
Considering about the acceptability of fear
appeal in brand images, fear appeals in commercial messages unrelated to health
are considered ethically unacceptable (Andres, Leeuwen & Baaren, 2013).
Referring back to Autoway Tyres (Figure 3), the only visual impression it gives
to the viewers is scary, it also overwhelms the unique selling point “safety”
of the brand. When it comes to prankvertising, the problem of brand
acceptability is even worse, because the unsuspected receiver has no choice to
stay away from prankvertising once the receiver is targeted. For example is, LG
Ultra HD prankvertising makes people think it is the end of the world. The
response from receiver is mostly frighten and mad. What if this prankvertising
is implemented into fledging brand? There would be only one possibility which
is disliked and unaccepted by the receiver. It is because receiver has not even
had any understanding about the new brand. Therefore, it does not seem to be an
entertaining prank, but making receiver feel averse to the brand. These are the
impact behind the “gain”, it gains people attention by irritating them.
Besides making receiver feel “pain”,
society is also the victim of “pain”. “More Pain, More Gain” steps into the
discomfort zone of society by challenging the boundary of rule and regulation
for breakthrough. Megan Towers, the Exfearience Planner claims that “we got
fifteen lawsuits, and fifteen percent increase of brand awareness” (Youtube,
2013) It shows that lawsuit is being part of the strategy for seeking attention
from the public, so press and media which report with interest the scandal at
the same time raise the brand awareness (Kubacka, 2012). For gaining the brand
awareness, the order of society is being mess up by this advertising. Ironcially,
advertising helps brand to solve problem, create problem for society.
Morally, the advertisement which aims to
be known as a provocative one has to touch the area which is considered as a taboo
by most of its receivers. (Kubacka, 2012). Also, The marketers and advertisers deliberately,
startle and offend its audience by violating norms for social values and
personal ideals, hit their emotional levels at a much stronger level, just to
break through the advertising clutter and grab their attention and also to
attract an audience to a certain brand (Kubacka, 2012).
According to the ethnic of advertising, in psychological appeals, it attempts to deceive people through poor reasoning or emotional appeals are deceitful forms of psychological appeals. Many advertisements seem to promise or imply a possible connection between a product and a good family, a good sex life, intimate friendships, and happiness. (Gray, 2011) However, “More Pain, More Gain” goes against this ethnic of advertising just for getting controversy and bring “different”.
According to the ethnic of advertising, in psychological appeals, it attempts to deceive people through poor reasoning or emotional appeals are deceitful forms of psychological appeals. Many advertisements seem to promise or imply a possible connection between a product and a good family, a good sex life, intimate friendships, and happiness. (Gray, 2011) However, “More Pain, More Gain” goes against this ethnic of advertising just for getting controversy and bring “different”.
To recapitulate, “More Pain, More Gain”
is a powerful tactic to enhance the recognition of brand. In this competitive
market, every brand intends to stand out against its competitors with only
minute difference between each other. Therefore, the ideology of pain is actually
more workable than the brand attribute. No matter the response from receiver is
good or bad, this is not the pre-consideration of selling a product anymore.
Indeed, the truth is grabbing more attention, getting more and more famous.
This is the connotation of “More Pain, More Gain”. In long term, however, it
would induce a consequence to brand itself and the society. The fear impression
of the consumer is given by the brand, shock could lead to behavioural
paralysis and the dismissal of any information that follows the shock (Andres,
Leeuwen & Baaren, 2013). Although the “pain” makes people feel memorable,
its opposite effect only let receiver remain in fear rather than its brand
attribute. In addition, “More Pain, More Gain” advertising is usually pushing
over the boundary line of rule and regulation, and thus law becomes their
method of marketing in the commercial industry. Inevitably, the real purpose of
law has already lost its functional purpose in our society. To sum up, the
“pain” today may become a common promotional strategy because the shelf like of
advertisement is short. The misapplication of “More Pain, More Gain”
advertising today might affect the prospect of advertising in the future. Will
a brand sell product or horror in the future?
