When someone tells you an ad has been PhotoShopped, the natural reaction is “Well, yeah, duh.” What you don’t think about is that the manipulation goes far beyond messing with shading and cleaning up blotches. We asked our readers to enlighten us about the interesting, hands-on tricks ad makers still use. Advertising is everywhere—on TV, social media, billboards, and even in apps we use daily. While many ads aim to inform and promote products, some are designed to manipulate and mislead buyers.
Understanding these tactics is essential to becoming a smarter consumer. Some advertisers overstate the benefits of their products. Words like “miracle,” “revolutionary,” or “instant results” are often red flags. Buyers may be led to believe that a product can do more than it realistically can. An ad may highlight a low price but hide extra charges in the fine print. For example, subscription services often advertise “free trials” that automatically convert into paid plans unless canceled.
