The
full page presentation titled “refresh your memory,” with a striking view of a
sliced pomegranate, looked so impressive, I didn’t realize at first glance it
was an advertisement. Even so, the
opening sentence, emblazoned in red, couldn’t help but draw my attention:
“Learn about this preliminary research on pomegranate polyphenol antioxidants
and memory and cognition.” The message
thereafter referred to research suggesting the beneficial effects of “increased
verbal memory performance and increased functional brain activity . . . on a group
of older adults with age-related memory complaints.”
Let’s
change subjects a bit. On the matter of
beverages, I happen to enjoy the tart flavor of unsweetened cranberry juice and
drink it regularly. I admit being drawn
to it when I learned, at least a half century ago, it could be beneficial in
combating urinary tract infection. It
has only recently been revealed that cranberry juice has no such preventive qualities
whatever. Apparently the implication of
its benefits can be credited to the cranberry industry and the wily advertising
agency they employed.
I’ll
now go back many decades to my birth state, Wisconsin, known as America’s
Dairyland. Not only did the billboards
read “Every body should drink a quart of milk daily,” but the slogan became
sponsored by the state . . . thanks,
presumably, to successful lobbying by the powerful dairy industry. Though we’re now aware of the cardiovascular
problems such a regimen causes, I suspect that line sold a lot of milk.
So
where does this pomegranate ad fit into the picture? I’ve reviewed it word for word to see if it
makes any blatantly deceptive claims as to the implied curative powers. Although it suggests the ingredients “are
known to help combat unstable molecules that can cause damage to your body,” it
follows up with “These are early scientific findings on cognitive health . . .
not yet adequately studied.” Evidently the
pomegranate industry is making certain there are no representations which might
lead to a successful lawsuit claiming fraudulent advertisement. The words, chosen skillfully, should sell the
fruit.
A
final thought: You may expect to see more and more such craftily phrased
pitches for any number of products.
Though the day of the snake oil salesman is long past, he’s been
replaced by a far more convincing team of researchers and linguists. To avoid being taken advantage of, you must
investigate each offering closely.
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If you enjoy this
weekly Straight Talk by Al Jacobs, you’re invited to check out my monthly
Financial Newsletter, as well as my new book, The Road to Prosperity
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