There is no denying that every day we are exposed to several forms of advertising. Whether it's that ever so famous commercial for Friendly Honda we hear on the radio on the way to work, or the khakis dude from State Farm we see in between that "Modern Family" episode, it seems as though companies and corporations are a part of our everyday lives. We now even see ads on Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms pertaining to the specific things we search for on the internet. There is no doubt that new media plays a big role in today's marketing techniques. However, while it may seem obvious when someone or something is attempting to persuade us, there are also several techniques and strategies used by companies in order to penetrate these brands and companies deep into our lives. In fact so deep, that our conscious mind doesn't really think twice about how we are being persuaded or manipulated; which essentially leads to brands, products, and companies becoming a part of us.
One of the ways that ads might fly over our heads is through product placement in movies and television. Brands use product placement to make it seem as though they are relatable and an actual part of our lives if someone is emotionally invested in the TV show or movie. According to some economic studies, they tend to even be more successful than the traditional TV ads because we don't necessarily think about how we are being persuaded and advertised to. Instead, we are focused on the content of what we are actually watching. However, even though we might not notice consciously, we definitely do subliminally. Remember that coca-cola ad in "Breaking Bad"? Yeah, me neither.
Although we may not remember the specific time in which we see brands pop up, the colors, design, and name of these brands still resonate with us the next time we are at the store. The fact in itself that we don't recognize when we are being advertised also shows that companies (like coca-cola) are so deeply rooted in our lives that we don't even think twice about it. Debatably, we can say that some are even a part of our culture.
Another ad technique that we don't necessarily think about, is the clothing brands that produce their logo or symbol merchandise. Companies like Nike, Adidas, and Pink all do this. We constantly see not only celebrities wearing these brands, but also people that we see every day like our friends and family. When we see the check mark we almost automatically associate it with the Nike brand or the eagle for American Eagle. Humans have a natural tendency to give meaning to signs and symbols, so it's no wonder that brands take advantage of these. Take Mark Wahlberg for example, he pretty much looks like a walking billboard for Jordan's.
Even my very own sister falls a victim to these ad schemes. Behold her mirror pic with the word Pink written right across the front. With posting this to social media for all her followers to see, it's almost like they get free advertising.
It is also important to note, that the brands we see the in stores didn't just choose their color schemes for their product just because they looked nice. There is an entire study around the psychology of color, and what certain colors make us feel. Below is a chart of colors and what we feelings we tend to attach to them. Next to them are also some brands that are associated with that color. Emotion and personal identification seems to be at the root of advertising, and defining how we see different colors, signs and symbols can play a big role in how we are all invested in the games that these brands seem to play. Making us feel something can essentially lead to sales.
