Classical Conditioning in Advertising

       The people who work in advertising and marketing are masters of classical conditioning. They use Pavlov's techniques to their advantage, coupling their products with catchy tunes and pleasing visuals and exposing the public to these advertisements over and over again until their brand and product are ingrained in the viewer's mind. In an attempt to sell their product, companies compete to catch the consumer's attention.  

Take, for example, Rick Perry's presidential campaign ad. It bears remarkable similarities to an action movie trailer. 

the intended effect can be observed in this equation: 

action movie stars = cool

"action movie" starring Rick Perry = cool

Rick Perry = cool

This is not your typical presidential campaign ad. Indeed, it gives you hardly any information about Rick Perry's political party, his history, his experience, or even the issues he is passionate about. Instead, the campaign attempts to tap into the emotions people associate with action movies.

Compare Perry's ad with the movie trailer for I am Legend.  

                 

Both are filmed in the same choppy, adrenaline-inducing style, and have similar background music intended to increase the viewer's anticipation. They even use the same font!

Rick Perry's advertising campaign's thought process probably went something like this:
How can we target the young voter's age demographic? By using something that appeals to them.  How can we make an over 60-year-old Republican appealing to that demographic? Create an image of him as a hero.

Therefore, the first 40 seconds of the ad focus on Obama, the "Zero President." It juxtaposes images of an abandoned country and increasingly urgent news casts that report high poverty rates with audio of Obama denying that anything is wrong with the economy. The tone is bleak, the lighting dark, and the buildings and billboards are crumbling.

Then, "In 2012" flashes on the screen. Suddenly everything is brighter: the world is repopulated with healthy kids. Paparazzi take photos of Perry. He is shown shaking hands with American workers. He wears his Air Force suit. "The United States of America really is the last great hope for mankind!" he says.


As far as conditioning goes, this ad might influence people. Americans want the leader of their country to be a heroic figure.  When we watch action movies, we willingly suspend our disbelief, and root for the protagonist when he faces overwhelming odds. By establishing himself as the protagonist, Rick Perry associates himself with all the childhood heros of Americans.

 Another influential point regarding the ad is that it is not boring. In my age demographic, the group of people who are just now receiving the right to vote,  many are politically apathetic. However, though only a small percentage of them will turn up to vote, hordes of young adults will show up for the premiere of the latest exciting action movie. The same applies to advertisements on TV. Many potential voters zone out when a political ad comes on. Perry's ad seems like a movie trailer when it begins, and therefore people will be less likely to tune it out; by the time they realize it's a political campaign, it will be almost over, and they will be much more likely to watch the ending.

I think that Rick Perry's campaign team is using conditioning by likening Perry to a hero in an action movie. Even though they don't provide any proof or documentation of heroic acts, they use filming principles so that people will remember his name, and vote him for President, even if they can't pinpoint what he has done. Time will tell if their advertising is effective or not.