Read the text about advertising techniques and then do the exercises below.

Ewelina Ramotowska Trapped in the Commercial World

Did you happen to buy a piece of garment, a hi‑tech gadget or a beverage only because you had seen it advertised before? If not, congratulations! You are in a tiny minority of consumers who (1) ……………. .

It appears that everyday life is inseparable from omnipresentomnipresent omnipresent billboards in the urban areaurban areaurban area, commercialscommercialcommercials on the radio and TV (2) ………… . Constant advertising of countless products has become so commonplace that we seem not to notice it at all. Moreover, it is much harder for businesses to grab the consumers’ attention. Not only are we accustomedaccustomedaccustomed to marketing temptationtemptationtemptation but we are also saturatedsaturated saturated with a variety of images, ideas and slogans. Nevertheless, we are all simultaneouslysimultaneouslysimultaneously and paradoxically affected by a world littered with advertising.

Copywriterscopywriters [copywriter]Copywriters and art directors have been outdoing themselves in marketing ploysmarketing ploys [marketing ploy] marketing ploys – creating catchy, rhythmic tunes, (3) …………, which usually attractattract attentionattract a potential customer's attentionattract attentionattention for no more than just a few seconds. Advertising departments are said to have been in a crisis for a while because anything they come up with appears to be already familiar and is treated as though it was a relicrelicrelic. It is thought that surprising a regular customer either with an item or with any professional campaign is doomed to failure,doomed to failure doomed to failure, yet advertising experts work by the sweat of their browwork by the sweat of one’s browwork by the sweat of their brow to manipulate us painlessly and almost imperceptiblyimperceptibly imperceptibly.

However indifferentindifferent indifferent to advertising we may seem to ourselves, we are actually trapped in this commercial, (4) ............ . It is not enough to ignore companies’ attempts to sell us a “must‑have item;” we should be also aware of more indirect techniques such as product placementproduct placement product placement. This is when manufacturers gain exposuregain exposure gain exposure for their branded goodsbranded goodsbranded goods or services by paying for them to be featuredfeatured featured in films and television programmes. When an actor in a film is drinking a clearly labelledlabelled labelled beverage or using a cell phone with its logo clearly visible, the viewer is internalising the need for a product without realising it.

If you still think you are immune to commercial manipulation techniques, you need to familiarise yourself with the term “subliminal advertisingsubliminal advertisingsubliminal advertising.” Have you ever experienced a sudden, strong cravingcravingcraving for a particular meal or drink right after turning off the TV? If yes, you may have become a victim of so‑called “subconscious marketingsubconscious marketingsubconscious marketing” whose goal is to make unaware recipientsrecipients [recipient] recipients walk away from the ad with a specific message in their mind – a desire that has arisen unconsciouslyunconsciouslyunconsciously. Although there is no scientific proof that this actually works, it sounds scary enough to have been banned in many countries. The subliminal trading strategiestrading strategies [trading strategy]trading strategies are said to use such sophisticated tools as “backmasking” (voice recordings played backwards which are to give listeners messages that their brains try to decode), “sub‑audible messaging” (usually of much lower volume than the primary audio) or “sub‑visual messaging” (a hidden logo or a small image tucked away withintucked away within tucked away within another image). The idea is that we don’t realise what we actually perceive or hear, (5)................ is quickly converted into a need. Isn’t it terrifying? No wonder subliminal advertising was banned in the UK right after the first attempts at using it in the 1950s.

Social media advertising also seems to be concealedconcealedconcealed and carefully considered by a staff of sociologists, psychologists and hi‑tech experts as it is always adjustedadjustedadjusted to an individual profile. It is perfectly configured advertisingconfigured advertisingconfigured advertising which carefully and precisely trackstracks [track]tracks (6) ................. . It has recently become obvious that searching for a product once means seeing a dozen ads related to this particular item each time you access your account, right?

Numerous marketing strategies such as shock advertising, also known as shockvertisingshockvertisingshockvertising, have been in use. It is nothing more than applying taboo subjects, bizarrebizarrebizarre and controversial sentences, disconcertingdisconcerting disconcerting and even offensive images to draw the consumer’s attentiondraw the consumer’s attention draw the consumer’s attention and triggertriggertrigger a strong reaction. It is often used for social advertisements whose purpose is to conveyconveyconvey a crucial message, to raiseraise awareness raise our political or ecological awarenessraise awareness awareness and to fight racism or homophobia. They (7) ………… child labourchild labourchild labour, domestic violence and sexual abuseabuseabuse. The purpose of these adverts, though, is not to make us buy any products but to raise awareness - a spark of hope in this consumerist world.

So, are you free from manipulation or rather enslaved by advanced commercial techniques? Is the need you feel a real one? Are the desires for ultra‑modern gadgets or brand‑new cosmetics really yours? Next time, before you buy anything, think twice about why you can't resist a particular consumer temptation.

1 Źródło: Ewelina Ramotowska, licencja: CC BY-SA 3.0.