These words all designate forms of advertising, the notices or announcements which direct the attention of the public to a product, brand, institution or service. Slogan refers in advertising parlance to some striking phrase designed to catch the eye or ear and to linger as a reminder of a product, service, etc. Slogans are probably the kind of advertisement with which we are all most familiar because constant repetition is the technique used to fix a slogan in the memory.

Message is the most general term in this list, denoting any group of words used by an advertiser to sell or promote something: "And now, a brief message from our sponsor," are familiar words to radio and television listeners everywhere. A cry is the oldest kind of advertisement under discussion. It designates the words, and hence the message , used by a vendor in announcing his wares: the cry of the rabbit-seller in the street. Once a colourful and important selling technique, the cry has been all but totally displaced by modern methods of advertising and merchandising.

Commercial is the general term for any advertising message that is broadcast during a radio or television programme or between programmes. The value of any commercial to the advertiser depends upon repetition and sometimes on novelty of presentation. Commercials may range in subject matter from a simple slogan, often sung, to a fairly complex "dramatic" situation involving several characters. The jingle is an important type of commercial , a short song or verse that uses a repetition of sounds either alliterative or rhythmic, to get the attention of the listener and become impressed upon his memory.