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Ad impl By MARY LOU SMART Gamecock Staff Writer Some advertising causes people to read more into an advertisement than is actually there, Dr. Terence Shimp, an associate professor of maplratincf nf ITC/"* eoi/l 11IU1 llWIBIg UV V/UVj OU1U. Incomplete comparison statements in advertisements use such comparative adjectives as "better" and "cleaner," leaving it to the consumer to decide what an advertised product might be better or cleaner than. These ads make no direct comparisons against competing brands. "Dial is better," one ad claims. "Better than what?" Shimp asks. THE PURPOSE of Slump's Cumjtm geb SbtmngUf.lv styles ru.. U\ "You ne w rhiinrp t Wayne impressi 799 5071 788 0100 6701 COLUMBL ^?? "to5 25c D1 <Tc$)x2@k. I Just across Ger\ West Co WhereHwy. l&S others] Tues, Wed. Thurs. Bott Fri. Tuborg , Sat. Old Mil at* you'll ications c study was to determine if this type of advertising is misleading to consumers. "People introduce their own personal perceptions to obtain meaning from advertising/' says Shimp. Advertisers know this, he said, and use it to allow consumers to draw their own conclusions. In the experiments students were exposed to incomplete comparison statements that appeared in television commercials. For example, "Cougar is built better to give you more" and the statement, "Mennen goes on warmer and drier." In each experiment more than two-thirds of each group read additional meaning into the statpmpnts FV?r tho rnnrtQf cc ?. ui vtiv uuugai aut uj percent of the students said the car QMduibturfum 0 Aft VtmB *+ U5l>fW 91.U . H21 O \ ver get a second O o make a first X> on" ^ 2 Th 2131 DEVINE STREET ^ -?5 TWO NOTCH ROAD O A, SOUTH CAROUNA '? > J I IITF I &AFT rais St. Bridge in lumbia <78 meet, 2nd floor pedals 25* Draft Le oj Bud b5' Gold 50' W eo soma enjoy ;an misle is built better to give you more luxury and sportiness when "in actuality the ad made no reference whatsoever to the automobile's value. This suggests that receivers -f -J ui an aa comprenena more than what is actually contained," Shimp said. THE IMPLICATION of the findings, according to Shimp, is that some advertisements may deceive consumers not so much by what is directly stated in the ads, iii?m?iiiprfim<iimiwiininnTTTf<ri?Biiii mnniMBMii WE Dl Re Just across the G Open 1I am- 7f owned Phone 796-5747 j \( Me: Capst Wednesday Ensalada Verde (tossed s j Ensalada de Fruta Fresc; Ensalada de Repollo (cali ? Albondiquitas (tiny chili 1 Arroz Con Polio (Spanish Roast Beef el Toreador Hibacheulas con Horgos (F Peritas Pequeno (new po1 Frijoles Refritos (refried Fiesta Biscuits Corn Bread I Spanish Cream Pumpkin Chiffon Tarts ? i ad consu as by what they imply. , The FTC does nothing to protect the consumer from incomplete comparison advertising, Shimp said, because it falls into the category of "puffery" which is not dealt with by the FTC. However, the National Advertising Review Board does not look favorably at incomplete comparison advertising and has been known to compel its members to be more explicit, according to Shimp. But the board has no D IT FOR cords Unlimited, In 31 2 Meeting St. Vervais St. Bridge in m mon. - f-ri. 10c and operated by USC stud and ask 'Troll' about our le ) BlU sican Ni one Caf< ~V& NT 1 ^ , March I 5:U $2.25 alad) a (fresh fruit salad) ico cole slaw) neat balls) chicken & rice) "rench cut green beans & mushrooi tatoes, parsley, butter) beans) ?*-> ? mers control over non-members and forms no real threat to advertisers who prefer to use this form of "empty" advertising, Shimp said. Consumers can do little to control their reactions to the many inCOmnlPtP mmnaricnn " ^ K ? iuuii au* vertisements they are bombarded with each day, according to Shimp. "These reactions are almost involuntary." You can't tell people not to complete incomplete comparison advertising, Shimp said. YOU! c. West Columbia m-6pm Sat. ents! >w Low Prices ! ".t7 i ght iteria 0-6:30 p.m. Choice of Salad [ Choice of one Entree ms) Choice of two vegetables ~r I -a viiuitc ui ureaa Choice of dessert $2.25 * 3