# Explain imitative desire in advertising.

Subject: Advertising and Public Relations

Exam: M2

Reader: https://deep-learning-study-room.vercel.app/apr/#m2/papers/m2-questions/theories-imitation

Canonical: https://deep-learning-study-room.vercel.app/read/apr/m2/papers/m2-questions--theories-imitation/

Short exam answers with examples

### Practice question. Explain imitative desire in advertising. [3 practice marks]

#### Answer

Imitative desire occurs when audiences are attracted to a product through an admired person or group associated with it. The product becomes a symbol of an aspirational identity. Celebrity or peer endorsement may encourage imitation, but actual purchase also depends on need, price and experience.

#### Illustrative example · An athlete and a sports shoe

A fictional shoe brand features a respected runner. A student may desire the shoe partly because it represents the runner’s disciplined identity. The advertisement cannot establish that the shoe alone produces the runner’s performance.