There was that ad again. Can't help noticing it. Not because it is spectacular or because of the name of the product, but because it is repeated every now and again, and the product is new.
If you ask anyone whether advertisements help them make a choice, or more specifically, if advertisements make them want to buy a product, the answer will be a No. Because No is the only correct answer. Saying Yes makes you look gullible and immature. And you don't want that, of course, especially in these days of social media where everything gets magnified.
But the fact is, unconsciously (or perhaps consciously, though we refuse to admit it) these advertisements are talking to our minds. Especially when they are repeated over and over again, in different places. Hammering it in. We may like it or not, but we are not going to be able to ignore it. A poorly made ad makes us think the product might be just as unprofessional.
And the celebrities that flaunt products on TV? We can't help but observe them. Their carefully constructed but casually delivered words touch a raw nerve. We tell ourselves that they're doing it just for the money, but we can't help but weaken when we see those products in the shops. Oh that's the one that actress endorses. Endorses. What does that even mean?
So, back to this particular product I am talking about.
When I first saw it, what struck me was its name. Unusual, of course, but more so because it reminded me (as it does everyone) of its namesake. Then I saw it again, and again. (See how that name gets etched in my head?) Soon, I suppose the original would fade from my mind, and when I hear the name, I will think of this new one. I don't want it, it's not something I would buy. Unless, of course,...
Then I go out to the city and here and there, in bus stops and hoardings, it stares back at me. That name. Bold. Large. Cool. I think about it. I wonder about it. The next time I see it in a shop, I may be tempted to buy it. Just curious, I would tell myself, to know what all that noise was about. And when I do, I may speak about it, the goodness and badness of it, because in the days of social media, being the first to announce it carries weight.
But if you ask me whether advertisements made me buy it - I would deny it, vehemently.
It's complicated, as the Gen-in-Focus would tell you.
And that's how ads work.
If you ask anyone whether advertisements help them make a choice, or more specifically, if advertisements make them want to buy a product, the answer will be a No. Because No is the only correct answer. Saying Yes makes you look gullible and immature. And you don't want that, of course, especially in these days of social media where everything gets magnified.
But the fact is, unconsciously (or perhaps consciously, though we refuse to admit it) these advertisements are talking to our minds. Especially when they are repeated over and over again, in different places. Hammering it in. We may like it or not, but we are not going to be able to ignore it. A poorly made ad makes us think the product might be just as unprofessional.
And the celebrities that flaunt products on TV? We can't help but observe them. Their carefully constructed but casually delivered words touch a raw nerve. We tell ourselves that they're doing it just for the money, but we can't help but weaken when we see those products in the shops. Oh that's the one that actress endorses. Endorses. What does that even mean?
So, back to this particular product I am talking about.
When I first saw it, what struck me was its name. Unusual, of course, but more so because it reminded me (as it does everyone) of its namesake. Then I saw it again, and again. (See how that name gets etched in my head?) Soon, I suppose the original would fade from my mind, and when I hear the name, I will think of this new one. I don't want it, it's not something I would buy. Unless, of course,...
Then I go out to the city and here and there, in bus stops and hoardings, it stares back at me. That name. Bold. Large. Cool. I think about it. I wonder about it. The next time I see it in a shop, I may be tempted to buy it. Just curious, I would tell myself, to know what all that noise was about. And when I do, I may speak about it, the goodness and badness of it, because in the days of social media, being the first to announce it carries weight.
But if you ask me whether advertisements made me buy it - I would deny it, vehemently.
It's complicated, as the Gen-in-Focus would tell you.
And that's how ads work.
The post reminded me of a funny saying "When you buy popular brands you are paying for there advertisements." There are times when I am tempted to buy products looking at their advertisements.
ReplyDeleteWell written Jeena :)
I fall for ads-let me admit- when it catches the very issue I have and claims that it has some solution. For example oily skin, dry hair. But I never go for who is endorsing it. I wouldnt buy a product just because someone pretty is endorsing it. But whatever strategy they use, they can be sure to catch a vulnerable crowd who has similar expectations . Sometimes its you, and at other times, me.
ReplyDelete