Final answer:
Advertisers use phrases like "fastest-growing" to appeal to consumers' desires to follow trends and make them feel as if they are missing out if they do not purchase the product. The FTC regulates advertisements for factual accuracy, allowing some exaggeration but not outright false facts.
Step-by-step explanation:
Advertisers love using expressions like "fastest-growing" or "largest selling" because such phrases appeal to the bandwagon fallacy. This strategy suggests that a product is so popular that "everyone" is buying it, nudging potential consumers to join in so they are not left out. Additionally, these expressions are often part of the attention economy, where synergy across different advertising platforms aims to deliver similar messages and influence consumer behavior.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) monitors advertisements for factual accuracy to a certain extent. Ambiguous or exaggerated language and images, while permissible, must not be actually false or misleading. The ancient caution Caveat emptor, which means "let the buyer beware," continues to hold relevance in the context of advertising. Consumers are encouraged to be wary and to critically evaluate advertising claims.