- Association:
- associates information about the product with strong
feelings and desires
- associates information about the product with strong
(a) Sex – associates product with sexual desires
e.g. cars – clothes – perfume – alcohol
(b) Status – respect for authority
e.g. prestige of science – laboratory coats worn by
those promoting washing powders, vacuum
cleaners, dishwashers, detergents
(c) Popular/respected public figures
e.g. sports-men & -women/TV personalities selling
mobile phones, health drinks, clothes, deodor-
ants, shampoos
(d) Prejudices:
(i) sexual stereotypes
(ii) class – accents
(iii) weight/size
(iv) race
(e) Subliminal manipulation through association:
(i) to reduce shoplifting – messages like ‘I will not
steal,’ ‘I will be honest.’
1970s experiment =30% reduction in shoplifting
(ii) Dangers:
a) political & social manipulation
re. Aldous Huxley, Brave New World Revisited
b) promoting commercial interests
subconscious manipulation to buy unwanted
products- Distorts:
(a) archetypal characters & scenarios created to evoke pre-
dictable responses:
(i) that we all want to be slim – that large people are
associated with social failure & self-indulgence
(ii) that we all believe that to find the dishes aren’t clean
when they come out of the dishwasher is a major
life crisis
(iii) that we all believe if our neighbour were to discover
that our kitchen floor was not spotless this wouldPlanning that Makes a Difference 149HTW19 7/27/01 8:20 AM Page 149