Females are the target group for both the advertisements and the needs to achieve financial security, independence, or freedom from traditional gender roles are expressed in the DeVry and ITT Tech advertisements. Words like "You can become..." introduce the consumer to the idea that they can change who they are by enrolling in the private school. The need to achieve is powerful, because of our culture's emphasis on social status.
However, the Chamberlain School of Nursing and the ITT Tech advertisements differ in how they appeal to the need to achieve. The Chamberlain School of Nursing appeals to the need to achieve educational and professional goals in a traditional way, whereas the ITT Tech advertisement appeals to the need to achieve educational and professional goals in an untraditional way. Therefore, the ITT Tech advertisement appeals more to the need for autonomy, and the need to dominate. A female who is drawn to a career in science or technology expresses a need for autonomy because her career choice is not traditional. The female consumer attracted to the ITT Tech advertisement also needs to obtain power over her destiny. The Chamberlain College also appeals to the need for autonomy, but more in the sense of being independent from the restrictions of the traditional classroom environment than in standing apart from the crowd. The advertisement for the nursing college also appeals to the need for autonomy in the sense of being financially independent. In fact, the advertisement explicitly mentions "achieving your personal goals." On the other hand, the ITT Tech advertisement appeals to autonomy in the sense of standing apart as a female student. Because the ITT Tech advertisement shows the female models working independently, the need for autonomy is clearly expressed. The Chamberlain School of Nursing advertisement, on the other hand, shows the female models working with coworkers or with other...
The Chamberlain School of Nursing advertisement stats, "Be a part of something." Therefore, the advertisement appeals to the need for affiliation. Imagery of the nurses working with others and helping patients proves that the Chamberlain advertisement also appeals to the need to nurture, which is not as present in the ITT Tech advertisement. Appeals to sex and aesthetics are not so much a part of either of these technical school advertisements. However, some need to satisfy curiosity is included in both the advertisements because they both list the degree programs offered in addition to the main ones touted in the advertisements.
Technical and vocational schools like DeVry's Chamberlain College of Nursing and ITT Tech's School of Information Technology advertise by appealing to a wide range of needs. In the two advertisements examined in this paper, females were the main target audience. However, the two advertisements differed significantly in their use of appeals. The Chamberlain School of Nursing appealed more to females with traditional gender roles and norms, appealed to the need for nurturing, affiliation, autonomy, and especially the need to achieve. The ITT Tech advertisement also appealed to females but ones with non-traditional gender roles and norms. Although the ITT advertisement also appealed to the need to achieve, it did not focus on the need to nurture but instead on the need to be unique.
Biagi, S. (nd). Advertising's 15 Basic Appeals, by Jib Fowles. Retrieved Oct 23, 2008 at http://www.frankwbaker.com/fowles
De Vry University's Chamberlain School of Nursing. Advertisement: viewed in local newspaper Oct 20, 2008.
ITT Tech's School of Information Technology. Advertisement: viewed in local newspaper Oct 20, 2008.
