"There are somethings you can't buy, for everything else there is MasterCard."

The well known and successful ad campaign of MasterCard contains a considerably large logical fallacy. The slogan used by the credit card company "There are somethings you can't buy, for everything else there is MasterCard." This slogan displays the logical fallacy of a false dilemma.

A false dilemma fallacy is when the speaker talks as if there are only two options in his argument, similar to the either/or fallacy. In the MasterCard slogan, the company speaks to it's audience as if you can either chose something you don't have to buy or you can use MasterCard.

The ad fails to acknowledge that there is more than one option in this situation. It almost makes it seem as if they are forcing you to use MasterCard if you want to buy anything at all. This logical fallacy is very hard to catch, and many people might just consider it a catchy slogan but it is not true. Even though MasterCard hid it well, the logical fallacies extensively effect the way the ad is once perceived when someone finally catches it. 

Comments

[Alexa R.]

This is a very well hidden fallacy. I have always seen this a but never thought of it was illogical thinking. This ad gives prople extreme options to rather us your master card or buy nothing at all. Another fallacy like this I've seen before is the famous poltical cartoon sayiing join or die in the American revolution. It limits people to think there are only two options when really there are always other choices to choose from.

[Lauren R.]

This is pretty well-hidden. I think that when most people are given choices they assume that those are the only options, even when just viewing a commercial.