Final answer:
The advertisement uses loaded words to negatively influence the audience's view of a rival cereal brand by emphasizing artificial ingredients and excess sugar.
Step-by-step explanation:
Niko is analyzing an advertisement that suggests a rival cereal brand uses artificial ingredients and an excess amount of sugar. The persuasive technique being used here is not fear, but rather loaded words. Loaded words are a form of propaganda that use emotionally charged language to influence an audience's perception. This technique aims to create a negative emotional response toward the rival brand by highlighting the undesirable attributes such as "artificial ingredients" and "excess sugar".