In the now infamous commercial for ShamWow, a super-absorbent cleaning towel, the pitchman Vincent Offer presents various reasons as to why the consumers should buy the ShamWow. Most of the reasons are based in good logic. For example, the towel works wet or dry, can be used on various surfaces, and holds twenty times its own weight in liquid. Then, however, Offer argues something that clearly falls into the category of hasty generalization. After saying that the ShamWow is made in Germany, he claims, “you know the Germans make good stuff.” Again, at the end of the commercial the announcer reminds viewers that the ShamWow is made in Germany. While, Germany may have a reputation for having good engineers and as one of the main hubs of automotive technology, the fact that the ShamWow was made in Germany does not mean that it is a good product. There are no relevant details or studies offered which would show that the ShamWow itself was built by a successful German company similar to the likes of BMW or Mercedes-Benz. Clearly, Offer tries to persuade people to buy the ShamWow using the logical fallacy of hasty generalization. While it may be true that the ShamWow is manufactured in Germany, this information alone has no bearing on the success of the product and is not a credible reason to purchase the ShamWow.
Watch the ShamWow commercial below:
yeah, this is a absolutely fantastic stuff, back in 2006 i visited La auto show and there was one guy advertising shamwow, doing pretty much the same stuff with coke, water etc.
ReplyDeleteamazing how they came up with it.
The product may be amazing but it's sad that advertisements have to rely on fallacies to sell their products. Even if it does work as well as it seems to, they shouldn't be planting ideas into people's heads via hasty generalizations. Also when the woman says she could not live without it, she is almost presenting a false dichotomy. I feel like she is saying one can either buy the ShamWow and live or not buy it and die--only two choices.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great point you bring up about the false dichotomy. That woman definitely could live without the ShamWow, but in order to advertise the product she presents it as a necessity of life. Clearly, these type of advertisements rely heavily on exaggeration and logical fallacy to promote products, rather than just presenting the product for what it is.
ReplyDeleteGood catch on the logical fallacy. I was caught up in the theatrics and 'German engineering' and missed the loose facts. I feel this is an effective use of fallacies. He uses fancy words, facts, and a show to convince people to buy the shamwow when mere facts might possibly get consumers to buy it all the same. I have used one and they really are amazing!
ReplyDelete