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Scapegoat Ad

 Scapegoat Ad
type
 FeatureClass
 Scapegoat Ad
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 Scapegoat Ad
 Scapegoat Ad
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 ScapegoatAd
 Scapegoat Ad
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 This happens most often in adverts for a type of service (phone, delivery, store, etc) but can apply to products as well:
The brand name and its competitor(s) will be represented by employees of the respective companies, usually low-level workers such as cashiers, stockboys or delivery drivers. When the shortcomings of the competitor are inevitably brought up, they are pinned directly on that company's employee — as if to imply that this minimum-wage grunt is actually responsible for company policy. Sometimes the employee will be a Jerkass and/or fanatically supportive of his employer's policies, thus justifying everyone's ire; but he is as often as not an innocent scapegoat, which can inadvertently turn him into The Woobie.
Alternatively, the competitor's employees will be depicted as slow, unhelpful, unknowledgable, dense, rude, slovenly, etc. while our employees are clean, competent, prompt, confident, friendly, professional, pretty et al.
Another common variant paints the scapegoat in a more favorable light: S/He works for the competition, but uses the advertised product, essentially acknowledging any shortcomings in the competing product.
This is also a case of Values Dissonance as in most countries comparative publicity (that is calling your competitor by name in an ad) is prohibited because their trademark rights allow them to prevent competitors for using their name in marketing campaigns even if its for comparison purposes. In the U.S., however, the right to engage in comparative publicity is protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution, and tourists from other countries can be shocked to see such outright mudslinging in ads on American TV.
A Sub-Trope of Strawman Product, Take That! and Competing Product Potshot.
Compare Cable/Satellite Mudslinging.
 Scapegoat Ad
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 2023-09-27T12:45:05Z
 Scapegoat Ad
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 2023-09-27T12:45:05Z
 Scapegoat Ad
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 Scapegoat Ad
isPartOf
 DBTropes
 Scapegoat Ad / int_6ac55ec7
type
 Scapegoat Ad
 Scapegoat Ad / int_6ac55ec7
comment
 Plus, they take a shot at Dungeons & Dragons players. Alltel can stick a +5 vorpal up their keisters.
 Scapegoat Ad / int_6ac55ec7
featureApplicability
 1.0
 Scapegoat Ad / int_6ac55ec7
featureConfidence
 1.0
 Dungeons & Dragons (Tabletop Game)
hasFeature
 Scapegoat Ad / int_6ac55ec7

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Scapegoat Ad
processingCategory2
 Basic Commercial Types
 Scooter007
seeAlso
 Scapegoat Ad