Is there such a thing as negative advertising?

Negative advertising is something that is relatively new when it comes to terminology, but the concept has actually been around for quite a while. It's used most often in political campaigns when one opponent is trying to make the other opponent look bad. These negative ads actually trigger repulsion and a startle response in viewers, but they also leave a more lasting impression than more positive ads. This is important, because it shows that what people see in negative advertising will stick with them much longer than the more positive messages that they are given. If you want to make sure your viewers remember your product or service, you have to give them a negative ad about your competitors' products and services. Of course, you have to watch what you say so that you don't get sued, but as long as what you say is factual you shouldn't have a problem. When people see negative advertising they actually begin the biological responses that are involved with the response to danger – the flight or fight response.

Negative advertising can make them want to run away or look away in revulsion, but it can also make them angry – although generally not at the person who created the ad. This is very good news for political campaigns and for people who are trying to use negative advertising to make their competitors look bad. The danger, though, becomes the idea that people might start viewing the entire ad as being negative in such a way that they will not watch it. If that starts to happen the ad won't be effective at all because no one will be looking at it. Most people, though, remember the negative ad better because they are made uncomfortable by it, even if they don't realize it at the time. It's a subconscious reaction to something that they find unpleasant, and they have to find a way to deal with that. Too many negative ads can ruin things for a candidate or a company, but so can too many positive ads, so a person has to be selective in what he or she is doing with advertising and how negative things are getting. A balance must be achieved.

About the Author

This article was written on behalf of Accord home to some of the top Uk Advertising Agencies .