On some level, we all understand the power of advertising. We know that corporations spend billions each year selling us stuff. Presumably, they wouldn’t do that if they didn’t get some kind of return on their investment. If you’re like me, you tend to think of advertising as mostly informational. For example, I know that Axe body wash exists only because I’ve seen its T.V. commercials. Presumably that brand recognition makes me more willing to throw the product in to my cart.
On a deeper level, I understand that Axe isn’t really selling body wash at all. They’re selling mythical love potions that claim to make hot women lose their minds and their pants. We might know those claims aren’t true (they’re not true, right?) but they’re supposed to create favorable impressions of the product in the minds of the targeted audience. Even if we don’t think the product attracts lusty women, we’re reminded of lusty women when we think of the product.
But are we really all that gullible? I mean we know what the marketers are up to. We understand we’re being sold. So how effective can all of these marketing dollars really be? Judging from a recent trip to Houston’s Museum of Fine Arts, pretty darned effective.
Everywhere Once 