I absolutely hate advertisements. They take up so much time and I never feel as though they are benefitting me – the casual viewer, just sitting on the couch eating ice cream and trying to have a somewhat enjoyable time. When I was younger, before I had really begun to appreciate the subtle effects that happenings in our environment have on us, I didn’t really think that I could, or should, in any way be persuaded by them. Nor did I place any value in them or appreciate the intricate way they are designed. Fundamentally, I didn’t realize until recently, just how profound of an effect, various commercials have on the choices we make, how commercials are actually based largely on “brain” science, and how combining just the right elements into a short TV commercial can change a product from an unknown to a household staple.
Commercials work because they are based strictly on science. Charles Duhigg recently published a mind blowing book, “The Power of Habit.” I first purchased the book on recommendation from my dad, who probably thought that his first year college student should make better habits. A large part of it focuses on the key to turning any bad habit around, whether it be drug addition, overeating, or smoking. For me, however, the book was so intriguing largely because it illuminated the scientific basis underlying the commercials that we see every day. And as I continued to read, it became clear to me just how well marketing strategy and advertising can work. I learned, for example, that the early toothpaste commercials which eventually made brushing a daily routine for all Americans, were created by an insightful genius, Claude C. Hopkins, who had the sharpness to realize that simple “triggers” can initiate a repeatable and predictable neuronal signaling pathway in the brain. And it was this rule, popularized by Hopkins that still stands today as the basic, “everyone in the advertising business knows this” rule that is the true culprit behind why every commercial that appears on TV is made the way it is.
These triggers, as Hopkins described them, are only the beginning. The triggers work because they initiate a predictable response in us. The commercial for Pepsodent, the toothpaste, claimed that the “film” on our teeth was what made them seem yellow or gray, and that tooth brushing would remove this film. What was ingenious about it was that it made this “film” on our teeth the trigger. We walk around with film on our teeth all the time. We move our tongues over our teeth all the time. As a result, we feel the film, which triggers the response – brushing our teeth with toothpaste. And in the 20th century, brushing almost always involved Pepsodent – the lone standing toothpaste brand.
It was in this way that Hopkins got everyone to purchase and use Pepsodent all the time. It was almost as if he had them possessed. People were walking around, feeling the “film” on their teeth, and unconsciously, brushing more often. The constant film trigger, brushing response, and clean teeth reward, was what eventually turned tooth brushing into an American habit, which most of us have today.
As for me, TV commercials have changed, in my eyes, from being pieces of uninteresting garbage, to being little opportunities for me to think about how my own brain functions. I think back to the Bounty commercial with Shawn Johnson in it, and how Bounty commercials usually show the signature wipe of the table, leaving it clean, and showing a satisfyingly large stain on the paper towel. I wipe the table in the exact same manner. I look at the underside of the paper towel after I’m done. Seeing a little spill of liquid on the table triggers me to grab the paper towel, make a nice clean wipe, and check the paper towel to make sure that everything, indeed, turned out as it should.
The same thing goes for Subway, and Special K. My own hunger, in the mornings, is what triggers me to get a Special K cereal bar. Hunger at lunch time always causes me to get a sandwich that at least resembles the real one from Subway.
A look into the past, and consciousness of our own behaviors and thoughts today, reveal that commercials do work. They do have a profound impact on the things we purchase and the way in which we live our lives. Commercials are stealthy and smart. Their creators and the pioneers of commercial creation had a basic understanding of the way we think. They understood that we can train our brains to have automatic responses to certain triggers and that these habits are the key to selling any product. These habits become unconscious as they are repeated more frequently, and the rest is history. So commercials are worth paying attention too. Being conscious of the mechanism by which they operate may even make us just a little bit more aware of our own decisions.
Works Cited
Duhigg, Charles. The Power of Habit. New York: Random House, 2012. Print.
This is an interesting essay and I especially like the topic you chose because it is definitely something many people can relate to. The way you incorporate “The Power of Habit” as a reference and source early and throughout your essay is very effective and establishes a sense of legitimacy for your argument. You do a great job of synthesizing your information about habit mechanisms with your points about advertising in the conclusion paragraph and I think you should try and add more parallels between the two throughout the essay to show how closely related they are and why your argument makes so much sense.
Sarah, I agree with Michael. I thought the beginning was more interesting, because I was excited to hear more about the science behind commercials. As the essay goes on, you give examples about how it works. Maybe you could include 1 or 2 more things about commercials that you learned from the book and just provide a single example for each? Otherwise I really enjoyed reading your essay!! Great job!!
I thought this essay was pretty interesting in beginning to show the science behind commercials. To me the opening paragraph could be a little more clarified such as the sentence “When I was younger, before I had really begun to appreciate the subtle effects that happenings in our environment have on us, I didn’t really think that I could, or should, in any way be persuaded by them.” was kind of confusing especially because the reader had no idea what that meant until after reading the essay. Other than that though I found this enjoyable to read.