I feel the same about SEO stuff. Stuff that's designed to attract peoples attention doesn't just not work on me, it often repels me. Some of it actively irritates me. Some of it I can't even stand to look at.

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[–] 13 points 1 day ago (2 children)

It's very rare to ever overtly be convinced by one to buy something on the spot, but that's not the primary function of ads. Simply getting the brand name into the zeitgeist as one of the available options is sufficient. Just reminding you of the existence of a brand so the next time in 4 months when you're buying a product you will consider it in your list of available best options - it has done its work. The effects of ads on each individual is minor, the effects of ads on the population is major.

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  • [–] 15 points 1 day ago (1 child)

    Just reminding you of the existence of a brand so the next time in 4 months when you're buying a product you will consider it in your list of available best options - it has done its work.

    The effects of ads on each individual is minor, the effects of ads on the population is major.

    Ads don't need to convince you or even remind you of their existence. They just need to convince your family and your friends. So when your family and friends remind you of a brand existing 4 months later, it feels like part of a completely organic conversation and not something a corpo planted in their heads 4 months earlier.

    Super Bowl ads are the most obvious example. The number of people who actually see the ad airing is not that high all things considered. But the countless "hey, did you see that ad during the Super Bowl" water cooler conversations in the following week means the entirety of the US (and much of the Western world) is reminded that the brand still exists.

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