How Advertising Really Works - Understanding Social Connotation vs Emotional Inception Theory

Explore a thought-provoking video lecture challenging conventional wisdom about how advertising influences consumer behavior. Delve into the contrast between the emotional inception theory and the social connotation theory of advertising. Learn why the common Pavlovian understanding of advertisements as emotional manipulators may be misguided, and discover how ads might instead work by establishing publicly recognized associations between products and ideas. Through examples from popular media like "Inception" and "Mad Men," and drawing on philosophical concepts from John Stewart Mill and David Lewis, examine how consumers may rationally choose products as a means of self-expression and social signaling rather than through subconscious emotional manipulation. Gain fresh insights into the complex relationship between advertising, consumer psychology, and social dynamics in modern marketing.