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Psychological Elements
in Advertising
Early Nineteenth Century
• Simplistic
• Presented a product in
a positive light.
• In recent decades,
advertisements have
become increasingly
persuasive.
1950s
• Vance Packard wrote “The Hidden Persuaders”
– “revealed how advertising agencies used psychologists… to
probe deep into consumers’ minds and build advertising
campaigns based on what they found” (Advertising as Science)
– “symbolized the golden age of psychologists’ involvement in
advertising” (Advertising as Science)
* * *
– “trying to create that science, analyzing ads to learn more about
the art of persuasion” (Advertising as Science)
Your Brain
• Jane E. Raymond, Ph.D., states that the brain, ‘“grabs a bit of information,
digests it, then grabs another bit”’ (Psychology as Science)
• Decrease in the number of “rapid- fire imagery of the MTV- like ads”
(Psychology as Science)
• Increased use of LOGOS such as the “Nike ‘swoosh”’ (Advertising as Science)
Logos allow the brain to process the brand without having to make a transition to
verbal processing.
Brain-washed?
• “Salient Stimuli” (Olsen)
– “a loud noise, a change in the background music, or a
rapid shift in the brightness of two scenes” (Olsen)
– The significance:
• In the commercial, if the brand name is mentioned
during the salient stimuli, the viewers are more
likely to remember the brand of the product.
Testimony on:
Materialism
Allen D. Kanner, Ph.D
• “has been asking his younger clients who they wanted to be… the
answer used to be ‘nurse,’ [or] ‘astronaut’” (Advertising to
children)
• answer has changed to “make money” (Advertising to children) and
he has decided the explanation for the shift to be “found in
advertising” (Advertising to children)
Why?
• The advertising industry is worth hundreds of millions of dollars
• “The … volume of advertising is growing … and invading new areas
of childhood, like… schools” (Advertising to children)
• Psychological elements in advertising have targeted children because
of their developing and susceptible minds.
• On average, a preschooler views, “25 to 45 hours of television a week
and… 22,000 advertisements in a year” (Chandler)
• Many children rely on television advertisements as an information
source, because they have limited information alternatives (Chandler)
Consequences
Resulting in:
•
The “‘narcissistic wounding’ of children” (Advertising to children) and “an
epidemic of material values among children” (Advertising to children)
•
E.g.- Psychologists can supply marketers with knowledge as to why three to
seven year-olds want toys that transform into something else, and why
eight to twelve year olds like to collect things (Advertising to children)
• Quick Discussion:
• Do you feel brain washed? Or Not so trusting anymore?
• Are these consequences serious?
Works Cited
Chandler, Tomasita M., Heinzerling, Barbara M. Children and Adolescents in the
Market Place. Michigan: The Piernian Press, 1999.
Clay, Rebecca A. “Advertising to children: Is it ethical? Some psychologists cry foul as peers
help advertisers target young consumers,” American Psychological Association 31, (2000): 8.
Clay, Rebecca A. “Advertising as science; Consumer psychologists and basic scientists are
behind ever more effective advertising campaigns to promote both products and causes,”
American Psychological Association 33, (2002): 38.
Olsen, G. Douglas. “Salient Stimuli in Advertising: The Effect of Contrast Interval Length and
Type on Recall,” Journal of Experimental Psychology 8, (2002): 168-179.