We Can Learn So Much From Advertising

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TV advertsUnless you enjoy being mentally programmed by advertisers, specially when you’re totally unaware of it, you’re probably better off hitting the mute button when the adverts come on. Better still, record anything you want to watch, and then you can fast-forward through the commercial breaks without missing a beat. Yes! Result!

Advertisers use tried-and-tested methods

Having said that, it’s true that we can learn a lot from the adverts. I’m not referring to the best insurance deals, the tastiest cat foods or the most effective washing powder … I’m talking about their methods. How do I know their methods are particularly effective? Well, look at the evidence. Companies pay advertising agencies enormous sums of money to come up with effective adverts, and those companies aren’t noted for being keen on wasting money. On the contrary, they’re very keen on getting every penny’s worth.

They won’t pay for adverts that don’t bring in lots of revenue. Or at least, they won’t pay for the same kind of adverts again. An advertisement has to prove it’s effective; it has to pay for itself, and more, by bringing in lots of sales revenue. If an advert doesn’t manage to do that, the company won’t waste any more money on that kind of advert, or with that advertising agency, in the future. So the advertising agencies know that effectiveness is the only thing that counts.

Their methods have to prove they are successful

So I think it’s safe to assume that the most successful adverts are the ones you see time after time. They’ve proved themselves, and companies are willing to spend good money on more of the same. They’ve survived the toughest litmus test there is, the one where money’s involved.

So, what exactly is it that makes these adverts so effective?

Here’s a brief list of the most effective aspects of successful adverts:

  • Vivid imagery
  • Bright colours
  • Lots of action
  • Upbeat music
  • Catchy slogans and keywords
  • Brief scenes depicting success
  • Smiling faces
  • Happy people
  • Repetition

Successful adverts generally share these same aspects, or at least most of them. They’re often filled with very vivid imagery – maybe still images, maybe brief videos (often lasting only a fraction of a second), and maybe in the form of cartoon-like imagery, or staged photos depicting a successful outcome. But often making good use of bright, vivid colours, lots of action, repeated written and spoken keywords and slogans, and repetition in general. The people you see in the ads are very often attractive, smiling individuals. They seem very happy to be doing whatever they’re doing. They’re on track to success, and it shows.

These things must be successful ingredients of the ads, because they are used again and again. No sensible advertiser is going to waste their huge advertising budgets on ineffective ads, so we can be sure the type of things I’ve just mentioned have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt to be effective.

You know their methods work, so copy them!

You should keep these factors in mind when it comes to mental programming. You should be indulging in this very thing every single day, and preferably two or three times a day. I know it can sometimes seem like a chore to dedicate time to this each and every day … it can actually feel somehow like hard work. Believe me, if you don’t do this, you’re setting yourself up for a whole world of infinitely harder work later on.