8 . If you live in Tokyo or Toronto, you need a warm coat in winter. But you want one that is short, or black, or has a designer brand. The aim of advertising to change our ideas about things we want and we need.
Some ads for designer products use people’s vanity to sell a product. The ads try to create a personality for each brand. For example, one brand of watches is for people who like adventure, with ads featuring an auto racer or a pilot wearing them. Another brand of watches is for elegant and fashionable people, and the ads show wealthy travelers on a cruise ship. The watches look almost the same- only their image as different. When you buy that brand of watch, you are buying the image. 1
Many ads use people’s emotions to persuade us that we need the product. Think of a TV commercial that shows a woman out driving in a car on a rainy day, with her two small children. Suddenly, another car turns in front of her. The children are still smiling and laughing. The message is: This car will keep you safe. 2 Other examples are slogans that tell you to take vitamins to prevent heart disease, ‘or’ buy insurance- protect your family.
Commercials for soft drinks often show people having a party, playing sports, or enjoying a day at the beach: Everyone in the ad is having a good time. The message is : If you buy this drink, you will have a good time too. Many ads like this are based on people’s desire for fun and enjoyment.
3 Psychologists have found that people have positive feelings about things they see more often, so the same ad is used for a long time before it is replaced with a new ad. Other studies found that people react better to an ad when it is fresh in their memory, so TV ads are repeated very often.
Knowing about psychology in advertising lets us make better decisions about the things we buy. 4
| A．Advertisements like this one use fear to sell products |
| B．You have to be careful not to be fooled by the ads on the Internet. |
| C．But the children may not realize that what they are viewing is unreal. |
| D．This is the reason that people spend much more money for a product. |
| E．After an ad is prepared, advertisers use psychology to make it more effective. |
| F．It helps us know the difference between what we want and what we really need. |
