Prompt 4: "Why Good Advertising Works (Even When You Think It Doesn't)"

Central Argument: Good advertising does influence people by sneakily planting memorable and engaging ads into peoples’ heads that later help influence their decisions.

            This piece of work is entitled Why Good Advertising Works (Even When You Think It Doesn’t) by Nigel Hollis. He argues that even though an advertisement doesn’t necessarily cause you to immediately jump off your keister and head to the nearest shopping center, they do still work. By sneaking into your brain and memory, the advertisements plants a seed in your head that later helps to influence your choice in products, brands, and so on. I agree with this statement 100%. Even though people say, “Oh, I’m never taken captive by those evil television commercials just trying to sell me crap!” the truth is, they actually work. Through memory, reason, and personal evidence of its success, I’ll prove to you that a good advertisement does indeed work.

            Your mind is the main goal of advertisers out. The most important feature about an ad has to be its memorability and its ability to leave a lasting impression. Making you remember and recall the ad later when you’re hungry, or need shampoo, or whatever is the main goal. Once in a blue moon will there be an ad so good it makes you jump off your chair and race for the malls. I mean, what’s good enough to make you miss the ending of The Notebook? So that’s why ads need to be sneaky and play catchy jingles that get stuck in your head. You didn’t really think they had that music there for fun did you?  Good advertisement all use little techniques of jingles and memorable stuff as it makes the commercial leave a lasting impression on you which you will subconsciously recall when you need something.

Also, there is the question Hollis brings up which is, why would the government invest $70 billion in something they didn’t believe worked? The government is made up of some pretty bright people. They wouldn’t just casually throw $70 billion around. We, the people, elect government members into office. Obviously we pick smart candidates that wouldn’t do something stupid with our tax dollars by spending tons of money on crap. And there are many levels to the government and motions need to go through a lot of steps in order for the government to decide to do something. So if deciding something as big as spending $70 billion dollars on something gets passed and permitted, it has to be for something that works.

Finally, I know from personal experience that advertising works. When I go shopping or want something I always remember the ads I’ve seen or heard, and the jingles. Like when I’m walking down the makeup aisle I recall seeing this product in an ad and am like, “Oh, I should try that.” There’s actually this one ad in particular for Pizza Pizza that I always remember because of its jingle. So whenever my family decides to order pizza, I always say their number straight off the top of my head. I mean, I don’t want to flip through some phone book or boot up the computer just to find another number when I already know the one for Pizza Pizza. “Five, six, seven … eleven … eleven… Call Pizza Pizza, hey hey hey!” Plus, it doesn’t hurt that they make a mean pizza.

In conclusion, it’s not the so much the ad that matters. It’s the memorability, impressions and positive feelings about the brand or particular item that matter. Any memory the advertisement gives you that will cause you to view the brand or item in a more positive light than its alternatives is a plus.

Article: http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/08/why-good-advertising-works-even-when-you-think-it-doesnt/244252/