When do you notice the effect of ads on you?

[Operational]

Ads are everywhere, TV, radio, billboards, the internets, etc.
However it's not often that I actually notice the effect that ads have on me. Perhaps they don't have much effect or maybe they do and I just don't realise it or it's too minor to notice. Companies certainly recognise the benefits of advertising - at worst they get a general awareness of their product and at best they get hoards of people buying said product.

As for me, ads for TV shows or movies that look interesting to me definitely have an effect.
I think the strongest effect an ad has had was one I saw on a bus stop advertising some chicken, it looked so delicious that the next day it's what I had for tea, for some reason I felt dirty afterwards.
When I was a kid ads had much more impact on me, but I think that is fairly common.

 

[Maria Flores]

During the past 6 months I have not been influenced by ads in the least bit.

Perhaps on Amazon's recommendations/suggestions when shopping for books... but not much else.

 

[theotherguy]

Not influenced by ads?

Think of an MP3 player. Think of a brand of clothing. Think of a type of soda.

If you came up with brand names for any of those, you have been influenced by advertising.

Advertisements are designed not only to get people to buy things, but to get people to remember the name and look of their product. This is very important, because the average consumer will buy the product he is most familiar with when he enters a store. It's much the same as the "Joe Schmo" campaign ads politicians put up. They're there because people will vote for the candidate with the most familiar name, all things being equal. This is why the meaningless story-based ads of today are just as effective as the product-endorsing ads of the past. They are there merely to get you to remember a brand, not to educate you on the reasons that their product is superior.

 

[Qonfused]

When I was watching I Am Legend with a few friends, one, when he saw a dilapidated McDonald's, looked over and said to the rest of us that we should go there after the movies.

 

[Dog--]

They almost never have an effect on me..

I wouldn't call movie ads, ads the way you mean.. Everyone goes to the movies anyway, the movie ads just show people what they might like to watch..

The only time ads effect me is if I'm already hungry and I see an ad for some food, I usually think "that'd be pretty good". Although an ad has never effectively made me get up and go purchase anything. I usually buy stuff if I'm already in the store or whatever.. Ads never make me do anything, really.

Not influenced by ads?

Think of an MP3 player. Think of a brand of clothing. Think of a type of soda.

If you came up with brand names for any of those, you have been influenced by advertising.

Advertisements are designed not only to get people to buy things, but to get people to remember the name and look of their product. This is very important, because the average consumer will buy the product he is most familiar with when he enters a store. It's much the same as the "Joe Schmo" campaign ads politicians put up. They're there because people will vote for the candidate with the most familiar name, all things being equal. This is why the meaningless story-based ads of today are just as effective as the product-endorsing ads of the past. They are there merely to get you to remember a brand, not to educate you on the reasons that their product is superior.

Creative MP3 players, BUM, Coca-Cola.

I only know these things because I have them.. I have a creative MP3 player, and I know people with Apple Ipods, I have a T-shirt that's from the company BUM, I drink coca-cola sometimes. Nothing to do with ads, I just already own these thing, or have been around people who own them.

 

[Jintor]

...I find myself noticing ads more and more. The other day, I was watching MIB2, and I was wondering what one of the characters was eating. Then I was like... hang on, that's a Burger King wrapper, isn't it? Then I noticed the background of MIB headquarters had a Burger King in it. Go figure.

 

[Raziaar]

I notice ads all the time, but the only reaction I have to them is annoyance, not consumerism.

 

[theotherguy]

Creative MP3 players, BUM, Coca-Cola.

I only know these things because I have them.. I have a creative MP3 player, and I know people with Apple Ipods, I have a T-shirt that's from the company BUM, I drink coca-cola sometimes. Nothing to do with ads, I just already own these thing, or have been around people who own them.

Well that's my point. The brands on products are themselves advertisements. In an ideal economy of perfect competition, all products would be totally indistinguishable from each other, and would only compete based on price.

In short, if there were no advertising, there'd be no way to tell between creative and Macintosh MP3 players, other than their general functionality and price.

 

[99.vikram]

Sometimes an ad exposes me to something new that I might want. At other times, I give preference to a product if their ad was witty and humourous.

But usually I go out of my way to avoid heavily advertised products, especially clothing etc. I guess it's an extension of my hatred for the kind of people who those adverts target.

 

[mchammer75040]

I posted this in the video forum awhile back to show how people, even advertisers are influenced without knowing it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyQjr1YL0zg&feature=related

Creative MP3 players, BUM, Coca-Cola.

I only know these things because I have them.. I have a creative MP3 player, and I know people with Apple Ipods, I have a T-shirt that's from the company BUM, I drink coca-cola sometimes. Nothing to do with ads, I just already own these thing, or have been around people who own them.

Dude that was his point. Hes not saying people robotically follow every damn ad they see, but everyone is influenced by whats familar to them. If I could find it online I'd show you a study where someone set up a stand on the street, puts coke in one glass and dr pepper in another and told people to identify the brand in each glass, but almost all of them got it wrong..or said it tasted the same because the brand in their head wasnt sitting there telling them what the difference was..
EDIT:
Heres a similar documentary talking about how MTV sells rebellion and the image they identify with right back to us/them:http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/cool/view/

Its about creating a lifestyle view that connects with people.

 

[Dog--]

Well that's my point. The brands on products are themselves advertisements. In an ideal economy of perfect competition, all products would be totally indistinguishable from each other, and would only compete based on price.

In short, if there were no advertising, there'd be no way to tell between creative and Macintosh MP3 players, other than their general functionality and price.

Well, to be fair, the brand names aren't all about advertising, I mean, what'd you rather say: "I want the MP3 player with a spinning wheel, small and thin, rather then the one that's small and square, that hold 2GB" or "I want the Apple Ipod over the Creative Zen Stone Plus".

I don't even think that brand names on the product themselves are really for advertising, they are more for telling which is which, because they are also alot of cheap copies, too.

 

[Vegeta897]

mchammer I'm pretty sure that guy is bullshit, according to what I've heard.
Even though I really love his vids

Basic idea is still probably true to some extent though.

 

[Qonfused]

DERREN BROWN IS AWESOME DON'T YOU TALK AGAINST HIM ASSHOLE

sadsfdjg

 

[Sheepo]

Ads affect me by making me know about useless stuff I'll never buy, making me lol on very rare occasions, and making me facepalm often.

If they ever have any other affect on me it's reminding me of something I already planned to purchase or informing me of something I wanted but would have found out about any way.

 

[mchammer75040]

mchammer I'm pretty sure that guy is bullshit, according to what I've heard.
Even though I really love his vids

Basic idea is still probably true to some extent though.

Some of the things he does do seem so, but that vid seems legit to me. And oh yea HOW DARE YOU:angry:. But vegeta, look at the link I provided when I edited my last post..Im sure you would find it interesting..

 

[Bad^Hat]

A coca-cola truck drove past my house once and, I swear to god, I was immediately thirsty. I don't know how they do it.

 

[Houndini]

adds really dont have a effect on me.. at all

 

[Stigmata]

Advertising does affect me, but I tend to think logically about making a purchase, even if the whole reason I'm considering it is because I saw an ad for it. I saw tons of iPod commercials, but I did my research and bought an iRiver, and then a Creative. I could have bought a Dell, but I did my research and built my own. I could have bought a Mountain Dew, and then I did anyway because I like how it tastes.

On the whole, though, I basically tune ads out. The only ones I really pay attention to are the ones that are either very clever, very funny, or have had a lot of effort put into them. i.e. the Nutri-Grain "I feel GRREEEAAT" commercial, or Honda's Rube Goldberg machine ad.

 

[Kyorisu]

Ads affect anyone who notices them. Whether you actively notice them or not your are still affected. It's how you shop that determines whether those ads helped you to make a purchase or not. I'll always do research on any expensive product before making a purchase so an Apple iMac ad isn't going to work on me for instance. When it comes to cheaper items I'll usually go with what's cheapest or what I prefer after trial and error on several different brands.

 

[Jintor]

A coca-cola truck drove past my house once and, I swear to god, I was immediately thirsty. I don't know how they do it.

I know what you mean. When I think "refreshing drink", I immediately think "Ice-cold Coca-Cola". Seriously.

I generally then go and get some water, but my point still stands.

 

[Headcrab Pie]

One ad that really affected me was the McDonalds ad for those sandwitches with the syrup in the bun. I would sit in the bathroom for 10 minutes a day staring at that ad. Next time I went there, I got one, downed it in 15 seconds.

 

[Lucid]

Ads don't effect me at all really.
I hate soda and I almost never eat fast food.

The only ads that generally have a small effect on me are commercials for restaurants like Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Arby's(they're terrible btw.), Denny's, and IHOP(best breakfeasts ever.)

 

[Xendance]

All ads should be like this

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=LGJiTpBBD18

 

[Lucid]

All ads should be like this

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=LGJiTpBBD18

Holy christ, had my speakers on and my amp cranked.

I got drunk from epicness.

 

[Raziaar]

I wonder if they used Massive to create that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massive_(software)