The media uses many different human behaviors to promote products, however each behavior might be in the ad for a very specific reason. For example, in 2011 Snickers released an ad campaign in which people- sometimes famous people- acted in an antisocial manner. In this ad both Joe Pesci and Don Rickles act in an antisocial manner, making the point that when people are hungry, they act cranky and are not pleasant to be around.
The Mars company used this behavior as a subtextual promise that when eating one of their top selling candy bars it will make the customer more likeable. From the moment infants are born they seek community and an ad for a specific product that promises more social behavior is a hard one to not be inherently enticed by (Baumeister & Bushman, 2014). In addition, this add uses humor, especially when the character Stacey turns into Don Rickles because she is in desperate need of a Snicker’s bar. Humor causes customers to see the ad as smart. Not only can the product make them more sociable but also it can make them laugh. As such, this ad is an example of an ad that used the psychological relationship to antisocial behavior to effectively promote their product.
Antisocial behavior is not the only motivator for shopping. Instead prosocial behavior, when used properly can also promote a product. In fact there are many commercials that may seem completely unrelated to promoting sociability. A recent Flonase commercial is one example of this. The benefits of Flonase are espoused while people laugh, hug, drive fact cars, dance and perform yoga moves. Clearly Flonase, a popular allergy medication, does not actually put one in these social positions. Yet human beings associate this happy playful nature with Flonase because the commercial promotes emotional feelings in the viewer.
When emotions are activated it also becomes easier for people to remember because the memory and emotional systems are linked (Baumeister & Bushman, 2014). As such, the happy colors, meadows and communal shots promote positive feelings towards Flonase. This is the complete opposite tactic of the Snickers ad, which uses antisocial behavior as a caution. Eat Snickers or beware being an unlikeable person.
