Maslow and advertising

1. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
LO: To consider and apply Maslow to advertising 
Tuesday 3rd February
• “But I NEED it!”
• Starter: In the back of your
books: What do you
consider to be a human’s
most basic needs in order to
survive?
• Work on your table to create
a list

2. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
LO: To consider and apply Maslow to advertising 
Tuesday 3rd February
• Maslow was a psychologist
working in the 1970s tasked
with finding out the NEEDS
of workers, in order to keep
them motivated and happy!

3. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
LO: To consider and apply Maslow to advertising 
Tuesday 3rd February
• His findings took the form
of a hierarchy – a stepped
list of needs, from the basic
upwards, so is often
depicted as a pyramid – the
most basic needs of a
worker start off at the base
of the pyramid.

4. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
LO: To consider and apply Maslow to advertising 
Tuesday 3rd February
Self-actualisation
Esteem
Social
Safety
Physiological

5. Physiological – The need to survive:
Think Caveman!
• Food
• Drink
• Air
• Sleep
• Sex
• Excretion
• If one of these basic needs is not being fulfilled, you will not
be able to think about anything else: Trying to complete a
tough Maths test on an empty stomach … or read a book in
English when you really need the loo!

6. Physiological – The need to survive:
Think Caveman!
• Used by advertisements
for food, drink, housing
etc.
• If all of the first level of
needs are being met,
the consumer will start
to NEED the following
level of needs…

7. Safety – The need to feel safe
• Includes security of
environment, employment,
health etc.
• Advertisements for insurance,
loans and banks promise
security and freedom from
threats

8. Safety – The need to feel safe
• This insurance
advert is saying
that if you rent a
home without
insurance then you
are in great
danger!
• This ad fits the
safety need
because people
feel secure and
safe when they
have insurance

9. Social needs – The need for affiliation
or friendship
• These needs only become important when all
needs lower down the pyramid are met
• The need for love, friendship and belonging
• Advertisements that focus on lifestyle choices
like diet and fashion use people’s desire to be
popular.
• They may also threaten them with the failure
to be liked or to fit in.

10. Social needs – The need for affiliation
or friendship
• This ad is an example of
the love and
belongingness need of
Maslow’s hierarchy of
needs.
• It is expressing that there
are people who will help
anybody in need and
those people will feel like
they belong

11. Social needs – The need to nurture or
care for something
• Advertising which shows
cute animals and small
children brings this out in
the viewer – can you think
of any adverts at the
moment that play on this
need?

12. Esteem – Includes confidence, self-
esteem, achievement, respect
• Need to achieve – advertisements that are
linked with winning tap into the need to succeed
• Need for attention – Advertisements for beauty
products often play on the need to be noticed
and admired
• Need for status – Advertisements for expensive
furniture and jewellery will use people’s needs
to be respected and to have high social status.

13. Esteem – Includes self-esteem,
achievement, respect & status
• Need to achieve – advertisements that are linked with
winning tap into the need to succeed
• Need for attention – Advertisements for beauty
products often play on the need to be noticed and
admired
• Need for status – Advertisements for expensive
furniture and jewellery will use people’s needs to be
respected and to have high social status.
• Need to dominate – Advertisements for products like
fast cars offer the possibility of being in control
through the product

14. Esteem – Includes confidence, self-
esteem, achievement, respect
• This ad expresses esteem because people
will feel very prestigious and it will give
them status.

15. Self-actualisation – Needing to reach
your full potential
• Need to find meaning in life – Advertisements
for travel or music may appeal to people’s
need for fulfilment.
• Advertisements for self-improvement
products – Open University, learning a
language at home etc.

16. Self-actualisation – Needing to reach
your full potential
• This US Marines ad
is saying they only
want people who
are able to live up to
their highest
potential and push
others to do the
same.
• It is expressing
people to be the
best they can be and
then they will feel
self-fulfilment.

17. Applying Maslow
• Work through the
adverts you have been
given
• Stick a pic into your
book
• Explain what product is
being advertised.
• Describe which of
Maslow’s needs are
being targeted and
explain why!