Advertising is a billion-dollar industry with one goal – to get you to spend your money. So how do advertisers convince so many people to buy stuff they don’t need? Here are a few of their tricks:
The cool factor
Advertisers figure no one wants to look like the class nerd, so they create ads to convince you that using their product will make you cool.
- The tip-off: Lots of pretty people wearing expensive clothes in ads
- Your move: Remember, buying products won’t make anyone cool, just broke
The adventure zone
Have you ever taken a sip of your soda and experienced a rush like skiing down a hill or pipeline surfing? We didn’t think so.
- The tip-off: Commercials with exaggerated events would never happen in real life
- Your move: Buy a soft drink if you’re thirsty. If you want to go skiing, buy skis
The music beat
Music has a powerful effect on people, helping to create memories and make everything seem like one big party.
- The tip-off: A popular song playing in the background of a commercial
- Your move: If you like a song you hear in an ad, buy the song and skip the product
The celebrity sighting
Advertisers hope if a cool celebrity endorses a product, you’ll want to be like them and immediately go out and buy it.
- The tip-off: A celebrity is telling the world how much they love a product they’d never, ever use
- Your move: Skip the product until the company pays YOU to endorse them