The Influence of Mythology on Advertising

Most people probably don’t realize how much Greek mythology affects both much of the advertising that we see and many phrases that people use every day. Many Greek myths influence what people read every day promoting many common products and services that people buy and use. The following are a few words, slogans, and phrases that have underlying meanings that come from Greek Mythology. The first slogan is “Trust the Midas touch”. This is referring to the legend of King Midas.

After Silenus, Dionysus’s old school teacher, wandered away drunk, he was found by King Midas who treated him with great hospitality and politeness. In return for the King’s hospitality, the god Dionysus offered King Midas a reward of whatever he wished for. King Midas wished for anything he touched, to turn to gold. Hence, today when the company Midas says “Trust the Midas touch”, it means that they will maintain the car, and it will be as good as gold.

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The second word is “Atlas”. Atlas was a Titan who sided with the Titans when the gods fought the Titans. After the gods won, Atlas’s punishment was to stand at the western edge of earth and hold up the sky. Today Atlas is a moving company. By naming the company Atlas, it means that they will not drop your furniture and deliver it in one piece. The third word is “Nike”. Nike was the Greek goddess of victory. It is said that she flew around battlefields rewarding the victors with glory and fame.

Today, Nike is a shoe manufacture. By taking the name of Nike, the company hopes to have the customer think that by wearing a Nike branded shoe, she or he will have great victory in his or her ‘battles’.

The fourth phrase is “Pyrrhic victory”. By definition a Pyrrhic victory is “a victory with such a devastating cost to the victor that it carries the implication that another such victory will ultimately cause defeat.” The phrase has its roots during Pyrrhic War, towards the end of Greek dominance. During the battles of Heraclea and Asculum, King Pyrrhus of Epirus’s army suffered many casualties against the Romans, but dealt many more casualties against the Romans. In both battles, King Pyrrhus was the victor. Even through the Romans lost many more men than King Pyrrhus, they had many more ready to replace those that were fallen; while King Pyrrhus had few to replace his fallen soldiers. In the big picture, if King Pyrrhus were to have another battle against the Romans, even though he may win the battle; all his men would be killed, thus he would lose the war. Many companies and products would benefit from the use of a slogan that has a basis in Greek mythology. One company comes to mind Aveeno; Aveeno is a manufacturer of beauty products. An excellent slogan would be, “Use Aveeno skin care and insure the beauty of Aphrodite forever.”

Aphrodite was the Greek goddess of love and beauty. The logic is that because Aphrodite is so beautiful, that everyone will want to look like her. In conclusion, it is no myth that ancient Greek legend has a real underlying effect on words we use today. Many more words and slogan have a mythological influence and influence our buying decisions. Today, the success of many products and services can, in part, be dependent on some form of ancient Greek mythology. If it were not for the ancient Greeks, much of what we have today would not exist, including various architectural designs and as previously stated words, slogans, and phrases.