01 What it is
The ad gives the audience something to be against: bad breath, a rival, a problem everyone knows. The aggression is aimed at the problem, not the person, and that distinction matters.
Competitive framing is a close cousin. When an ad appears above a competitor’s own search result, it frames the choice before the rival gets to speak. Position is message.
A challenge can also trigger reactance, the urge to reconsider a decision we have already made. “Don’t use those guys” makes people want to know why.
02 How to spot it
A named problem or rival the viewer already dislikes, and the brand standing next to the viewer, not in front of them.