Every successful company knows that in order to prosper, it must not only sell a product — it must also sell influence. Boisterous salesmen, like the late Billy Mays, and attractive saleswomen entice the audience to believe that the advertised product is not only amazing but also necessary. (Even if it is just Mighty Putty.)
Advertisement is the art of persuasion to convince people that their current lifestyle is unsatisfactory and needs an upgrade. The bombardment of commercials we face every day tries to instill a sense of urgency so we crave a need that we didn’t even know existed 10 seconds ago.
Commercials are indeed serious business. In 2007, more than $150 billion was spent on advertisement in America, according to TNS Media Intelligence. Marketing is a cutthroat competition to win the hearts and minds of consumers.
Some commercials rely on dazzling the audience with loaded imagery that is entertaining enough to catch our attention, even if the product is completely mundane. The Old Spice deodorant commercials are especially adept at putting completely unrelated imagery (oysters turning into diamonds and finally transmuting into a body wash and sold by a man riding a horse) with the nostalgic Old Spice whistle sound.
What’s amazing is that, despite being dazzled by the completely superfluous visuals in the commercial, the viewer still does not have the answer to the key question, “What does Old Spice smell like?” Nonetheless he or she is still attracted to the product and has a greater chance of considering it next time he or she goes to the store. If people become loyal customers, then the damage is done and Old Spice has succeeded in convincing you that its product is superior to lady-scented body washes.
Innovative companies take into account the psychology of their target audience to ensure that an advertisement appeals to them and will be engrained in the target’s mind. The United States is ranked the most individualistic country in the world, so it is not surprising that the paradigms for commercials in this country are aimed to audiences that value personal choice and being a unique individual.
It is no coincidence then, that fast food companies intentionally use slogans such as Taco Bell’s “Think outside the bun,” Burger King’s “Have it your way,” or Wendy’s “Do what tastes right.” All of these phrases allow the person to feel that eating at a restaurant was his or her individual choice. Consumers are not being pressured to respond to the signal. They aren’t bullied to pick up a brochure about something they don’t care about. They are merely invited to come and make their own decision.
Ironically the pieces of individuality we mistakenly pride ourselves on, from our phones, clothes and other paraphernalia, are all engineered by corporations that want to see a homogenous world littered with their products. In our desire to obtain a product to distinguish ourselves from others, we inadvertently become the marionette strings of subtle puppeteers.
Osman loved the Old Spice commercial and now he can ride on a horse backward. Your man probably can’t look like him but you can discuss how he can smell like him at msalim1@asu.edu
