Ads work on another level in that they not only produce a desire within the viewer, but also a state of need. The ad explicitly states that your life lacks something if you do not purchase the potted meat. Advertisers establish a contract with their viewers. The ad will create discontent within the viewer, but in return it must offer a quick and easy solution to assuage that feeling. Convenience plays an important role in making wish-fulfillment attractive.
Some ads use the same format as one of the oldest forms of literature, the fairy tale.
In many fairy tales, a fairy godmother descends to grant a wish and change someone's life forever. With one wave of the wand, your troubles disappear, and you achieve the happily ever after ending. The Plumtree Potted Meat ad even employs the sing-song quality of children's rhymes. Rapid gratification and easily remembered rhymes combine to make a potent ad.