Discussion How influenced are you by advertising?

[Forever Sleep]

Do you ever watch or listen to adverts and think- who buys this stuff? I guess there have been a handful of things I've seen or heard about via adverts that has promted me to buy stuff but, I feel like it's very little. Maybe as low as 10%. Most of the time, I've likely seen someone else using the product and, thought it looked good.

I've also fallen for at least one useless product because the advert looked good. I was probably more taken in as a child. Lego sets, even today look pretty appealing. Lol.

How about you? Are there any specific things you bought because of an advert? Any regrets? Does it influence you much, do you think? Obviously, it must work. They wouldn't spend so much money on it if it didn't.

 

[darksouls]

we are all brainwashed by this damn advertising

 

[whywere]

I guess I am either blessed or cursed, as overall any form of advertising does not work on me. I started out with absolutely nothing at 18 and I have been blessed as far as I have no greed, no ego and I have never ever had the need to either keep up or catch up with anyone on anything ever.

I live VERY simply, no movies or eating out, I drive a 10-year-old car, and my only treat is some personal traveling. So, seeing an ad about a new item or clothing or anything, does nothing to/for me.

I have seen through all the decades on this planet too many folks who had to have "everything" and they sometimes wound up getting their car reposed, their home foreclosed on, having to file bankruptcy and having their marriage or relationship ending.

Anything and everything that I have I have worked darn hard for, NOTHING ever given to me, NEVER, and so since I have had to work hard for the money, seeing any type of an ad, does nothing to get the money out of my wallet, never.

Walter

 

[Praestat_Mori]

That's a very good question!

I think for most of my life I only bought what I really wanted to have. I never cared so much about what was currently advertised everywhere and what everyone else had.

I would consider myself "immune" to the general advertisements.

 

[sancta-simplicitas]

Not very. Of course it affects me to some degree, but years of abuse taught me to be extremely aware of manipulation attempts. I've also been poor my entire adult life and have a natural barrier to consume things I don't need, often even if I can afford it.

 

[NonEssential]

I don't see them a lot as I don't leave the house much. I don't watch TV, my laptop and phone have ad-block and sponsorblock on them. I'm too poor to hop on any hype train either.

 

[Forveleth]

I use ads as an informative thing. For instance, in case I am looking for a new whatever if I see something advertised, I will add it to the list of things to check out, but that does not make me more likely to buy it. Whenever I buy a new product, I will thoroughly research all of my options first, so ads do not really sway me to purchase a particular thing.

With sponsorships, ads actually work negatively against me. I have noticed that most companies that sponsor YouTubers usually spend a ton of money to get their name out there, but their products are hot garbage. So at this point, if I see something sponsoring more than, say, three YouTubers, I actively avoid it.

I have also noticed I will remember a lot of commercials from my childhood, usually because they were funny, but not remember what the producy was.

 

[Pluto]

 

[bleeding_heart_show]

I use adblock on everything and do not watch television, so I forget advertisements exist sometimes.

 

[bankai]

They stopped working on me a long time ago. I just don't spend on anything unless it's very calculated these days.

 

[Parasitism]

I don't think I'm particularly responsive to what I'll call 'passive' advertising. The kind of adverts that are on TV and billboards.
I think I'm probably more suckered in by 'active' advertising. For instance, if I was building a PC and jumping around PC part building 'advice' websites, I can find myself tempted to spend more money than I planned to. It can feel like if I don't spend more money to achieve some arbitrary specifications, that I'll probably never come close to needing, than I'm somehow missing out.

 

[avoid]

I think most people underestimate the impact advertising has on them for the same reason people overestimate their driving ability and underestimate risks: nearly everyone thinks themselves above average. I would label myself a skeptic too, resistant to most advertising, but am I really?

Ads not only promote products, they create associations in the brain. The clinking of glass bottles and uncapping pop followed by fizzing: what brand comes to mind? Two yellow arches towering above low-rise buildings checking whether you're hungry. The chimes of ice cream trucks driving through the neighborhood, watering your mouth. A whiff of sweet vanilla trying to lure people into the bakery. Restaurants seating their patrons behind the windows to appear fuller, popular. Stores keeping the window display lights on after hours. There's no reasonable escape from advertising—living off-grid would be unreasonable. Only online ads can be avoided with ad-blockers.

Anyway, I made my first purchase on Amazon last week as well as my last purchase. Usually I shop elsewhere but Amazon offered a cheaper alternative. Unfortunately I had a poor shopping experience: so much false information on their product pages compared to the product I received. I suppose the only reason I tried Amazon was because they're well-known. The lower price helps too, but if it were an unknown webstore with low prices then I would not have shopped there to avoid the risk of being scammed. My decision to try Amazon may very well be the fruits of Amazon's advertising. Interestingly, I get more Amazon ads now.

Also, I use an e-reader app that allows you to remove their in-menu ads by watching 1 video ad, and I ALWAYS get the same Temu ad. And it's absolutely hilarious!1 XD (Youtube video) I read daily, therefore I watch this ad daily. I'm at the point where I'm playbacking the actors. And I'm like, why does that ad even exist?

edit: found a playlist of wacky temu ads in english x) playlist link

 

[Forever Sleep]

I don't think I'm particularly responsive to what I'll call 'passive' advertising. The kind of adverts that are on TV and billboards.
I think I'm probably more suckered in by 'active' advertising. For instance, if I was building a PC and jumping around PC part building 'advice' websites, I can find myself tempted to spend more money than I planned to. It can feel like if I don't spend more money to achieve some arbitrary specifications, that I'll probably never come close to needing, than I'm somehow missing out.

I do this too. My greatest expenditure goes on tools, work aids etc.

 

[PrismHon]

Fast food when there are new things on menu. If there is a limited time McDonalds burger or something, odds are I will get it.

 

[whywere]

View attachment 168938

OUTSTANDING!

The background colors with the black kitty in his formal attire upfront is just wonderful!

Walter

 

[Interdegenerate]

I doubt most people are conscious of the effects of advertising.