The 5 levels of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow’s pyramid is used in psychology, education and many other fields. It describes physical and psychological needs, starting on the lowest level with things that you need to stay alive such as food, air and sleep. As it rises up the levels it shows needs such as safety (having a home, being out of danger), belonging (to a family or peer group), self-esteem (feeling good about yourself and having respect from others). The top level, self-actualisation, is about having control over one’s life and having challenging projects to achieve.

People are not fixed on this pyramid but can rise and fall on it depending on what is happening to them at the time. But the point is that you cannot perform (learn, design etc) when you are hungry or tired or worried about falling out with your friends. The items on this list are real needs.

Advertisers cash in on these needs. They try to convince the audience that the things that they (the advertisers) are selling are needs. In fact they are simply “wants” or desires.

This usually occurs where the adverts are for goods of which there are many, similar products, such as cars, baked beans and so on. The advertiser has to pick out a unique selling point to mark the product as different. So they will often pick on something that can be sold as a “need”. (Can you remember what else is used by similar producst?.....redundancy)

For example, car advertisers will focus on, say, the results of a side-impact test in which their car did very well (though this may only be marginally better than the next car). They sell the car as being very safe and hint that the audience member must protect their family by buying the safe car – the audience member should feel that they “need” the safest car.  The advertiser is working on the needs of  Maslow’s safety level. All cars are pretty much the same – they go from A to B – but the advertiser needs to distinguish a point and make it seem more than simply desirable.

Other car advertisers may instead try to work on Maslow’s self-esteem level. Cars like BMW, Audi, and Mercedes are sold on their great appearance, performance, or technology. Owning one of these cars makes you feel good.

Food averts often try to persuade on Maslow’s level of health and nutrition, appealing to mothers and customers to buy the healthiest option. Less salt or fat is sold as a “need”, whatever the goodness of the rest of the ingredient. 

Other food advertisers sell on the level of belonging – the family all comes together for a lovely meal in the main home. Gravy, sausages, soup all are sold as “needs” to bring your loved ones together. Magner’s Cider sells on this level but appealing to groups of friends enjoying a lovely lifestyle together.


BMW Advertising

Here is an advert from BMW, its a very simple poster but with a much greater meaning. " The ultimate attraction" is that main caption on this poster, the main image on the poster helps to back up this caption by having a magazine with a picture of a BMW over a women's face. This imply's that even laying in bed with a beautiful woman does not give you as much attraction as a BMW does. In terms of Maslow's Hierarchy "Esteem" this is what the poster aims at. Most men know the feeling of being in bed with someone they find highly attractive and by having the magazine with the image of a BMW it gives the viewer the feeling that a BMW is more attractive than any woman. In the pyramid it goes belonging then esteem, this poster has a play of the 2 as its suggesting that a BMW will raise your self-esteem and that its even better than belonging.

Here is another advert from BMW, again the advert is very simple and just has a large image and a caption. The caption says " My bonus is faster than your bonus" this simple phrase automatically suggests what you might buy with your bonus you got from work and if you did buy a BMW with it its going to be faster than what your friends may have got. In terms of Maslow's Hierarchy here there is "Esteem" and "Self-actualistation" Esteem being confidant that your BMW is going to be faster than someone else's car. Self-actualisation being that with your hard earned bonus you have bought something that you have earned with your hard work so you have the feel that you have achieved something and bought a car which is better that another persons.

These are screenshots from youtube which are of a BMW commercial. The commercial is for the new BMW 5 Series, in the commercial there is a man who gets to test drive the new car but during the video he uses words like "affordability" "performance" "looks" these are all phrases that relate to self esteem, when someone heres these words in terms of a car that is all they really want. A part of the ad also gives some of the cars specs which uses words like "technology" "intelligent" which lead people to believe its more than just a car and that the specs that are shown are very impressive for a car of is stature. There was also some background music in the video, I believe without this music the video would not have had the same impact that it does with the audio, the music which was played seemed very inviting and also gave the car the effect that it was up and coming. The music to the video makes the viewer grow affection for the car "belonging" it makes you look at the car in a different aspect leading you to want it more.