Advertising vs The Brain
The practice of advertising and marketing is considered something of a black art. Coaxing consumers to consume, and continue to consume is a morally questionable act. But, by the same token, the fact remains that as consumers, we want to know about products, services and deals that will, genuinely, give us satisfaction. The fine line between informing the public and inducing the public is what cloaks marketing in a veil of ethical taboo.
Advertising is as, if not more, ubiquitous in the Western world today as the finger-pointing political propaganda was in the previous century. Every square inch of the earth has been examined at some point by a marketing executive as a potential space for advertising. Even Times Square in New York City is a tourist attraction for is neon-saturated gallery of ads. But, according to many, the fun and colour of ads masks the apparent intent to warp your thinking, and mould you into a money-dispensing mass consumer.
Some even claim that advertising will all but end the world as we know it. Professor Sut Jhally wrote: “Simply stated, our survival as a species is dependent upon minimizing the threat from advertising and the commercial culture that has spawned it.” More moderate academics, meanwhile, associate advertising with addiction, over-consumption, cultural colonisation and other evils plaguing society. In their language, advertising is pervasive, insidious, targeted and amoral.
But, no matter how many toddlers are asked to remember brand logos, or how many people fill out online questionnaires – the fact is, there is no definitive answer that can help us understand the science behind us and ads.
Researchers tracking the path of an advertisement’s journey from media to cash return get lost at a crucial part of the analysis– the mind. The tangled complexity of the human brain contains such a maze of neural responses, memory retention patterns, image deciphering and basic sense-making techniques – that we simply cannot pinpoint what makes an ad effective.
It’s for this reason that marketers tend to build on what seems to work. Repetition, humour, sex, celebrity…there are several tried-and-trusted techniques used by advertisers that seem to elicit a positive response. As any first year marketing lecturer will tell you - it’s all about desire. Through consumerism and mass-spending, society has shown itself to desire the ideal. The ideal home, the ideal body, the ideal car, the ideal life – so much effort goes into showing you, the consumer, that this product will get you one step closer to the ideal.
Then of course, we come to the dark side. Preying on fears, insecurities and doubt – aggravating the sense that you’re not ideal. There are some marketers in this world, who, like a lion stalking an isolated wildebeest, will create a seed of doubt in it’s victim’s mind – implying the wildebeest is somehow physically inadequate - pointing out it’s dry hooves, or the split ends on its mane. It’s a predator tactics – weaken the target before striking. Nothing can be sold where there is no market – so when it comes to certain products – sometimes those markets must be created. Does the thought of going out in public with thin eyelashes consume you with fear? Well, fear no more, we finally have a product for that.
And there’s the rub. On either end of the transaction have the company’s capitalist need to promote their product to increase their wealth – and the consumer’s desire to be informed enough to make their spending decisions. What happens in between is where things become dubious – and that’s where education and comprehensive tools come in.
Television shows like the ABC’s Gruen Transfer are a prime example of how you can derive entertainment from breaking down ads and looking at the components. The results vary from a hilarious poke at the sheer ludicrousness of some, to an applause for the clever, satirical social commentary of others. The process of casting a critical, not always judgemental – but wary, eye over advertising, though, virtually dismantles its potency and empowers the consumer. Yes advertising is pervasive, yes it’s inescapable and yes it’s designed to pervert your mind into spending – but, to underestimate our brain’s defensive capability against such things is foolish.
Advertising to children is, of course, a much more sensitive area – as their deciphering capabilities are still developing - but in the broad sense – to free-thinking and free-spending adults – are we really at the mercy of that little 15 second jingle?
Sexist? yes. Effective? who knows?
Some even claim that advertising will all but end the world as we know it. Professor Sut Jhally wrote: “Simply stated, our survival as a species is dependent upon minimizing the threat from advertising and the commercial culture that has spawned it.” More moderate academics, meanwhile, associate advertising with addiction, over-consumption, cultural colonisation and other evils plaguing society. In their language, advertising is pervasive, insidious, targeted and amoral.
But, no matter how many toddlers are asked to remember brand logos, or how many people fill out online questionnaires – the fact is, there is no definitive answer that can help us understand the science behind us and ads.
Researchers tracking the path of an advertisement’s journey from media to cash return get lost at a crucial part of the analysis– the mind. The tangled complexity of the human brain contains such a maze of neural responses, memory retention patterns, image deciphering and basic sense-making techniques – that we simply cannot pinpoint what makes an ad effective.
It’s for this reason that marketers tend to build on what seems to work. Repetition, humour, sex, celebrity…there are several tried-and-trusted techniques used by advertisers that seem to elicit a positive response. As any first year marketing lecturer will tell you - it’s all about desire. Through consumerism and mass-spending, society has shown itself to desire the ideal. The ideal home, the ideal body, the ideal car, the ideal life – so much effort goes into showing you, the consumer, that this product will get you one step closer to the ideal.
Ad overload - can the mind cope?
And there’s the rub. On either end of the transaction have the company’s capitalist need to promote their product to increase their wealth – and the consumer’s desire to be informed enough to make their spending decisions. What happens in between is where things become dubious – and that’s where education and comprehensive tools come in.
Television shows like the ABC’s Gruen Transfer are a prime example of how you can derive entertainment from breaking down ads and looking at the components. The results vary from a hilarious poke at the sheer ludicrousness of some, to an applause for the clever, satirical social commentary of others. The process of casting a critical, not always judgemental – but wary, eye over advertising, though, virtually dismantles its potency and empowers the consumer. Yes advertising is pervasive, yes it’s inescapable and yes it’s designed to pervert your mind into spending – but, to underestimate our brain’s defensive capability against such things is foolish.
Advertising to children is, of course, a much more sensitive area – as their deciphering capabilities are still developing - but in the broad sense – to free-thinking and free-spending adults – are we really at the mercy of that little 15 second jingle?
cyberperson
cyberperson
Good post.
The Gruen Transfer is very entertaining. Especially when Todd and the other guy argue. That's funny.
Our world is saturated with advertising but we still have free will. I don't think it is a huge evil.
Fringe Faith
Samaritan's Stories
I have spent a lot of time with my kids actually criticising the ads on TV. I want to teach them to actually think about what they're seeing, and not just to accept it.
Samaritan
Formula 1
The Social Centre
In regards to children - that's where the ethical concerns are highest. Educating children about advertising and preventing adverstisers from targetting children for 'pester-power' is something I think is needed.