Common Advertising Phrases that Mean Nothing

Have you ever noticed how many of the phrases commonly used to advertise products mean nothing? Many common advertising phrases are meant to evoke emotion and make us feel better about purchasing their product- but carry no actual meaning. Here are a few of the common phrases used in advertising.

7 Common Phrases Used in Advertising Products

1. Premium
2. 100%
3. Gourmet
4. Pure
5. Quality
6. Premier
7. Fresh

3 Questions that Reveal the Issue with Advertising Phrases

When determining the value of a phrase used on any product, consider the following 3 questions:

1. Compared to what?

What does premium or gourmet even mean? Your popcorn, coffee, and cookies are gourmet? Great! But, compared to what? Compared to boiling a rock, your dollar store coffee looks pretty fancy, but does that mean it’s actually good? In fact, when comparing any product on the market to a rock, they’re all looking quite fancy and gourmet. I think the common dollar store cookie is preferred 2-1 over the leading parking lot rock.

2. Who says?

There’s a gas station near my house that boasts, “Ohio’s tastiest chicken“. I’m curious when the council of Ohio chicken taste testers meets in our state each year. Here’s the issue- who says? Is there a person going around determining who’s #1 in every product category? Is Hostess really America’s #1 donut?

3. What were the circumstances of determination?

Even if a product was able to explain that a real person or group declared them #1, it would still be important to understand the circumstances of that determination. First off, #1 what? Maybe Hostess Donnettes are America’s #1 donut- to use as paperweights. Or, maybe they’re America’s #1 worst-tasting donut for the price. What if they were determined to be America’s #1 donut by a 3-year-old standing outside the Hostess factory being bribed by a dollar? In order for a statement like that to be effective, we’d really need to know who was asked, when, and why.

Pictures of Advertising Phrases

1. Premium quality nuts

Premium quality. What does that mean? Was this determined by the international pistachio nut blend consortium? Does this nut blend also come in normal quality?

2. Premium roast Mcdonald’s coffee

I’m not sure Mcdonald’s is known for its premium quality anything. If this coffee is considered premium, then what is it comparing itself to- hot water or motor oil?

3. Dollar Store beef jerky

This one carries two phrases. It says that it’s a “premium brand” and also states that Sweet Baby Ray’s is a “gourmet sauce”. I have no idea what a gourmet sauce is compared to other sauces. I also have no idea what would make this brand premium compared to other brands. Does it help that I took a picture of this in the Dollar Store? This also states that it’s 100% American Beef. In my mind, this raises other questions. What part of the cow was used? What grade was the meat? And what about the spices- wouldn’t they count for some percentage of the product? I guess saying, “97% low-grade unused cow parts flavored in spices” wouldn’t sound as enticing.

Gourmet Folders coffee

Similar to Mcdonald’s, Folgers coffee is NOT gourmet or supreme. In fact, if this coffee is gourmet, then it’s a clear example that this word means absolutely nothing for products.

Milk’s favorite cookie?

I would like to know how many “milks” were consulted regarding their favorite cookie before making this determination. What was the sample size of milks asked? Also, was it unanimous? If 4 out of 5 milks prefer Oreo over other cookies, then what cookies do the other milks prefer? So many questions.

Amos’ cookies

I took a picture of this last one due to my own curiosity. Was there a time these cookies existed before they were famous? For the first decade or so were they just called “Amos’ Cookies”. And then the day came when a worker noted that their cookies were really famous and suggested Amos’ cookies change their name to better reflect their popularity. Is that what happened?

Selling the Ultimate Cookie

Using all of these excellent phrases, I’d like you to by my new Thorne cookie. It’s 100% pure, made with premium high quality, gourmet ingredients. The Thorne cookie is America’s #1 cookie!  It’s also coffee, milk, water, and beer’s favorite cookie. In fact, 4 out of 5 drinks prefer my new cookie. The package now offers twice the cookie over the leading brand. It is a premier cookie and is guaranteed fresh. It now comes with no rocks, no poison, and no fur! Act now and get 20% off your first purchase.

Learning about Advertising Phrases

Many phrases used in selling products make us feel good but mean very little. I want to buy a product that’s 100% pure and premium- even if I’m not really sure what that means. I like that cookie is preferred by milk and my donut is America’s favorite. However, it is helpful to stop every now and again and wonder what these phrases actually mean.

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