Does sex really sell?
Oftentimes, sex doesn’t sell anything other than itself, according to Martin Lindstrom’s recently released book "Buyology: Truth and Lies About Why We Buy." His research found that a racy ad can often distract someone from a product altogether.
Lindstrom used MRI exams on more than 2,000 people to observe how they reacted to certain ads, and found that advertising myths like the one that "sex sells" can have unintended consequences for a company. More often than not, it’s the consumer who’s being fooled, he said.
Negative campaigns like anti-smoking billboards and commercials can help sell the very product they’re warning against, Lindstrom said, driving people to crave tobacco because of a link formed in the brain between the message and the pleasure of smoking.
"These warnings are having the complete opposite effect of what people expect," Lindstrom said, noting that tobacco companies often fund anti-smoking campaigns. "When we see these warnings we let our critical guard down, making us even more vulnerable to this strategic advertising. It’s manipulative, really."
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Wondering whether you’ve been persuaded to buy something recently? It could be in a simple ritual. The next time you slide a slice of lime down the neck of your bottle of Corona, or patiently wait for the foamy head of your Guinness to settle, consider why you think it makes your beer more enjoyable. According to Lindstrom, both practices originated as marketing strategies.
"There are subliminal messages and pressures in everything we see and smell," Lindstrom said. "We’re affected by advertising in everything we do."
