The psychology of advertising
Why ads work on us. Each principle names a human tendency and links to the ads that tap it, with a note on how each one does.
Social influence
How other people shape what we choose, from favours and crowds to experts and friends.
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Reciprocity
We feel we owe something back to whoever gives first, so a free gift, a favour or a useful service makes us want to return it.
Examples: Shutter Ads, LifePaint, eco:Drive
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Commitment and consistency
Once we take a small step or make a public stand, we keep acting in line with it, so getting a first yes makes the next one easier.
Examples: Dumb Ways to Die, Take a Bite Out of Crime, Whopper Detour
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Social proof
When we are unsure what to do, we copy what other people are doing, especially people like us, so crowds, queues and best-sellers persuade.
Examples: The Fun Theory, Divan Japonais, Trash Isles
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Authority
We trust experts, officials and anyone who looks the part, so a doctor, a scientist or an official voice makes a claim feel true.
Examples: At 60 Miles an Hour, Meet Graham, Do Boond Zindagi Ki
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Liking
We say yes to people we like, and we like people who seem warm, genuine, attractive or similar to us, so likeable faces sell.
Examples: Whassup?, Monkey, Our Blades Are F***ing Great
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Scarcity
We want things more when they are rare, limited or about to run out, and we hate to miss out on what others might get first.
Examples: Sundial, The Best Job in the World, Calling JohnMalkovich.com
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Belonging
We favour people we see as one of us, and we choose brands that show which group we are part of: a team, a town, a nation, a tribe.
Examples: You Can't Stop Us, Whassup?, I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke
Attention and memory
Why some ads get noticed and stick while the rest slide past.
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Curiosity gap
A question left open nags at us until we close it, so an ad that holds back the answer makes us go and find out for ourselves.
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Isolation effect
The thing that stands out from everything around it is the one we notice and remember, which is why the odd one out wins attention.
Examples: Believe, Monkey, Unskippable
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Mere-exposure effect
The more often we meet something, the more we like it, so a jingle, mascot or slogan repeated for years becomes an old friend.
Examples: Absolut Perfection, Citroën on the Eiffel Tower, Like a Good Neighbaaa
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Processing fluency
Things that are easy to read, say and remember feel truer and more pleasant, which is why rhymes, short lines and simple pictures stick.
Examples: I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke, Dumb Ways to Die, Absolut Perfection
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Self-reference effect
We notice and remember anything that is about us, so our own name, face, town or habits in an ad grab us like nothing else.
Examples: The Pony, Lamp, Unskippable
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Negativity bias
Threats, losses and bad news grab our attention faster and stay with us longer than good news, so a shocking image is hard to ignore.
Examples: Back-to-School Essentials, Not Even Once, Body Bags
Judgement and choice
The mental shortcuts we use when we weigh one thing against another.
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Loss aversion
Losing something hurts more than gaining the same thing pleases, so showing what we stand to lose moves us more than a promise of gain.
Examples: The First Digital Nation, I Never Read The Economist, Forever
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Contrast effect
We judge things by what sits next to them, so the right comparison, a rival, a before shot or a bigger price, makes something look better.
Examples: The Man Your Man Could Smell Like, Evolution, Reassuringly Expensive
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Halo effect
One good impression spills over onto everything else, so a loved star, a fine cause or a beautiful film makes the product seem better too.
Examples: L'Odyssée de Cartier, Believe, Gorilla
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Pratfall effect
Admitting a flaw or a mistake makes a brand seem more honest and more likeable, as long as it is otherwise good at what it does.
Examples: Surfer, Moldy Whopper, FCK
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IKEA effect
We value things more when we have helped to make them, so ads that let people create, choose or take part earn more love and loyalty.
Examples: The Pony, The Best Job in the World, Free Doritos
Identity and feeling
Who we think we are, who we root for and what moves us.
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Self-image
We buy things that say who we are, or who we would like to be, so the best brands sell an identity as much as a product.
Examples: You Can't Stop Us, I Never Read The Economist, Fearless Girl
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Nostalgia
Warm memories of the past make us feel safe and connected, and that feeling rubs off on whatever brings the memories back.
Examples: Sound of Honda / Ayrton Senna 1989, Magic of Flying, Groundhog Day
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Underdog effect
We root for the small challenger against the big favourite, and brands that cast themselves as the underdog borrow that support.
Examples: 1984, Our Blades Are F***ing Great, Fearless Girl
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Common enemy
A shared opponent pulls people together, so an ad that names something to fight against gives its audience a side to join.
Examples: 1984, Our Blades Are F***ing Great, Evolution
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Identifiable victim effect
One person's story moves us far more than numbers about thousands, so a single named face makes a problem impossible to ignore.
Examples: Tips From Former Smokers, Selinah, Not Even Once
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Warm glow
Helping others feels good in itself, so brands and causes that let us do good, or show good being done, share in that glow.
Examples: Shutter Ads, We All Win, Justino
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Empathy
We feel what the people on screen feel, their joy, fear or tenderness, and that shared feeling attaches to the brand behind the story.
Examples: Lamp, Forever, R.I.P. Leon