Theories of Persuasion in Advertising We are bombarded daily by a variety of communication tools that attempt to influence our thoughts, behaviors and attitudes in some way. The main role of this advertising methodology is to persuade, to change the way we construct a certain meaning in our head. Persuasion is a very powerful tool for influencing our idea of ​​how, what, or who people should be. The media uses this tool in an attempt to create a need for their product in society. In advertising for Orthro Tri-Cyclen birth control pills they focus on the added benefit their product has over other birth control pills and topical skin medications. Manufacturers try to entice consumers to use their brand by promising extra rewards. The strategy used by manufacturers to execute this persuasion and the effectiveness of this strategy will be identified and analyzed through the advertising of Ortho Tri-Cyclen birth control pills. Advertisers use a variety of techniques to change our thoughts, beliefs and actions. One of these strategies is the source used to convey the message. We, as consumers, judge the source and form an opinion about the product based in part on their representation of it. There are three main categories, or source characteristics, that we use to analyze a source: credibility, similarity, and attractiveness. In this Ortho Tri-Cyclen advertisement the source is the young woman who serves as the company's spokesperson. I will use the characteristics mentioned above to evaluate the presented source. Credibility is an essential factor in the effectiveness of a communicator. Their message is believed to have greater influence if they are perceived as credible sources. Credibility depends on the credibility of a source, which in turn depends on five subfactors: competence, reliability, extraversion, composure, and sociability (DeFleur, Kearney & Plax, 1998). The credibility of this source is questionable because she is in no way presented as an expert in either birth control or dermatology. Any knowledge he has on the subject is assumed to come from experience. However, he does not profess a superior “I know what is best for you” position. Rather she is in the position of “it worked… middle of paper… she chose to be sexually active, so evaluating just the effectiveness of the pill is more compelling.” The prosocial aspect of persuasion is a key factor in reaching college students. Receiving an extra benefit, even if expected, is always beneficial to the potential buyer. After analyzing this ad it is clear that persuasion is a very complex process. Many different components contribute to the effect a message will have on the intended recipient, and in advertising, the effectiveness of the message is hoped to lead to the desired change. One of the main goals of advertising is to create a preference for the brand and Ortho Tri-Cyclen achieves this by providing an added benefit in using their product. They attach their product to intrinsic human needs for safety and acceptance, as described by Maslow. The source used is appropriate for the purpose of the ad, as it effectively represents the product without overshadowing it and is aimed at the target audience of average women with average concerns. Although the persuasion contained in this ad is very subtle, it is only part of a grand plan that successfully reaches the intended audience.