Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Seminar #2... The Persuaders

For those of you that watched "The Persuaders" during the last breakout session, please answer the following questions...

1. When others are trying to "persuade" you (politics, advertising, school debates, etc), which of the following WOKs have a greater impact on you, language or sense perception? Give an example (academic or personal).

2. How has your view of the worlds of advertising and politics changed after watching "The Persuaders"?

Mr. Malone

54 comments:

justina said...

1. For me personally, it is a combination of the two, but language is what i pay the most
attention to. When I'm not paying attention visually (as in when my siblings ask me to
look at something) i may still be listening, if sub-consciously. So when advertisements use
language to market their product, its more effective for me. One example is music--using
the sound of a symphony playing a classical piece will draw my attention faster than any
image they can flash on the screen. I think this is because if i am already watching TV,
i have become accustomed to seeing things, and therefore desensitized, but when something
comes on with a sound that interests me, i pay attention.

2. Personally it creeped me out. Completely. How in the world can we resist all that
persuasion? There isn't anything we can do to avoid it, save living in a cave somewhere
far away (and even that's not a 100% guarantee). Politics especially made me think--its
all about trying to personalize the information so it pertains to me specifically, as
an individual, which makes me wary of just how much information they actually have on me...However, i found that "technique sellers" like the french gentleman, are the best at what they do--making the sellers want his information in the same way that the sellers want people to want their products. Interesting.

MSuds said...

1. When I am watching TV, really the ads that are visually pleasing attract me the most. I really like the iPod example on The Persuaders because I definitely plug the headphones in and dance around wherever I am. I feel that I connect with both language and sense perception. I easily fall into the "need of material possessions." While I am watching hockey games, commercials for equipment are played. Countless of the ads really say everything good about a hockey stick or skate, however doesn't add that there is only a 30-day warranty on breaking the stick, or the skate falls apart easily. It is also somewhat a confirmation bias "thing" because the language in the commercials tells everything you want to hear and not the fuzzy details that come with the product. Sense perception is another form of this for me. If I see my favorite hockey player, Sidney Crosby, playing with a stick, or using a certain pair of skates, by golley I want those! I don't care how much if costs of if other people who have used the product give bad feedback about it. Sidney Crosby uses it so I MUST HAVE IT!

2. Until I watched The Persuaders, I didn't realize how much simple commercials can affect a person. I agree with Justina that it really kinda freaked me out and put it in perspective for me how gullible, for lack of a better word, our country can be. Now, like I said before in my answer above, I have watched TV commercials and realized how easy it is to connect with whoever is showing of the product and because they are in the ad, or use the product, people want it because they like that person. Not because the product is top quality or not, but because we can connect with an actor/actress

kelseyr said...

1)Language definitely affects me more because, as Justina said, when you aren’t really paying attention to the commercials, you do listen to the subconsciously. Although sense perception also plays a large part in marketing a product or concept, the language that they use in doing so helps persuade the listener even more. They don’t just want you to see what the product/idea could do to you, they really want you to BELIEVE in what it could do for you.
2)Wow! I never knew to what extent (yes, I am a true IB kid) people persuade you on a daily basis. It isn’t necessarily obvious but just the slightest tweak in they way they say something or where they position something changes your entire perspective. It is especially compelling to notice how politicians use this idea in everything that they do.

vishnu said...

1. I think that for me personally, the sense perception has a greater effect than the language because whenever I am watching TV, I pay more attention to whats happening on the screen rather than pay close attention to what they're saying, if you know what I mean. Advertisings for example, if they make the product seem desirable on the advertisement, I am more likely to be persuaded than an ad which focuses more on the language rather than what's shown on the screen. But sometimes language does help when the advertisement doesn't make sense, in which case I would argue that both language and sense perception are needed to persuade me into wanting to buy a product.

2. I personally never realized how much thought and work goes into a simple, it seems to me, 20 -30 seconds long advertisement clip. The video has completely changed my view of the advertisement industry because before I never completely payed attention to the creativity and ingenuity needed to create even a simple 10 second clip in order for it to appeal to the public. Now I am starting to pay more attention to the language and the ad as a whole to try to figure out how the ad is trying to appeal towards us, it is interesting.

Alex Kreger said...

1. Both are really essential, but the sense perception is much more likely to backfire. At this point, some have tried to use sense perception and gone way too far. For instance, in the recent election Elizabeth Dole accused Kay Hagan, the woman running against her for Senate in North Carolina, of being a "Godless American." Hagan, however, was not only a Christian, but had also been a Sunday School teacher. Voters, however, saw through these ridiculous accusations, and Hagan won by about nine points.

Alex Kreger said...

2. After watching "The Persuaders," I really pay more attention to how advertisers are trying to get me to buy their product. I don't think there is any way to avoid the techniques used, or all the advertising. However, what's most important for me is to be aware of it. Then it's easier to make an educated decision on why I want the product, or why I hold that belief. If you're aware of the advertising and propaganda, you can see through it as well, sometimes to the actual issue, and really decided what you believe.

Adong said...

1. I think both language and sense perception is important and both have a greater impact on me. Usually I don't pay attention to commercials unless some word or language (usually music) catches my attention. Then I pay attention to the commercial. The language perception is what caught my attention, but the sense perception is what makes me want to buy a product. If the commercial uses visual images that envoke feelings of necessity then the commercial is sucessful in convincing me that I want their product. Companies need to use both language and sense perception to be sucessful in selling their product. Only one usually doesn't work, since if they only use sense perception then I have no idea what they are selling. For example there was this one commercial that only used sense perception, images and feelings, and I had no idea what they were selling, I still don't know what they were selling. This works the other way too. If they only use language to convey their message, I get bored and don't pay attention to the commercial.
2. After watching the Persuaders, I started noticing commercials and advertisings more. I noticed the different techniques they used and how persuasive some were and some weren't. I also didn't realize how many ads that companies put up to get our attention until I watched this movie. I've been to New York, but I didn't really pay attention to all the advertisings all I did was walk pass them. What they said in the movie about how it's getting harder for companies to get our attention is true. I just walked by all those ads in New York. I didn't realize how many ads were actually in New York, until I watched the movie, The Persuaders.

kaitlynL said...

1.) I would say that sense perception has a bigger impact on me personally, because, as it says in the movie, there are things like product placement that don't necessarily use language to advertise or to communicate. For example, when a teacher is speaking in front of a class, you are more likely to pay attention if said teacher has say--good body language. If they are communicating with their body that they know exactly what they are talking about, you will be more inclined to listen.

2.) I guess I always knew that there was a lot of subliminal messaging in advertisements, but having them laid out for us was kind of just like a slap in the face. As for politics, I just thought it was interesting how everyone changes their terminology to "better comunicate their points."

Haylee S said...

1. Sense perception and language both influence me subconsciously and knowingly because that’s how the advertisements are meant to work. Usually, I personally try to ignore commercials and many advertisements because I know most of what they are saying is just to convince you to buy something worthless, but no matter what, the language is subconsciously impacted in my mind. Also, sense perception has a big impact on persuading me, because I am a highly visual person, and if the creator of the advertisement has used some of my favorite colors, I tend to pay more attention.

2. After watching "The Persuaders" I have paid a lot more attention to advertisements, and how ridiculous a lot of them seem to be. On the other hand, I also respect them in a sense, because of how much research the people behind the advertisements go to just to please their audience visually and audibly. I never knew how much time and effort goes into such short advertisements.

Michelle said...

1. When others are trying to persuade me, language is the most important thing to me. ESPECIALLY in debate and other forms of speech. It's really bad, but when I hear somebody using a wide variety of large vocab words it catches my attention right away. If someone is using big words that sound important and smart, I want to believe what they are saying right away, because they make themselves sound so smart. Which is kind of a ridiculous notion, as I have found the people that use those words in debate are actually not coming up with smart ideas. Sense perception is possibly more important because it appeals to so many more things. Many people I know are visual learners, myself included. I think, to a lot of people, seeing is believing. If something is on TV, they HAVE to have it. A lot of advertising is very visual so the advertising companies exaggerate this aspect of sense perception, to get people to buy into their products.

2. I see advertisements now, and I look for underlying things, like how they could have changed the graphics and such to make the products seem so much better. I view advertising as a very sketchy market, that manipulates people into, lots of the time, buying things they don't need. The movie was very frightening. It's almost as if the advertising companies have taken away our free thinking abilities by manipulating us, and forcing us to buy into their schemes. I have become a lot more wary about advertisements and I am a lot more observant now, with the words and the sounds and pictures the ads use.

Michelle said...

Shellie is Michelle Moon.

And as for politics, politicians must hire extremely good advertising companies to make them look the best and most appealing to their audiences. I know many people vote based off appearance and not what the politicians actually have to say/offer. But even then, are the politicians telling the truth and what they really want done for our country? Can they accomplish everything? Or are they just trying to get us to buy into their ideas, by using lots of sense perception?

Tae said...

1) I think I'm more likely to be critical of language than sense perception, since sense perception is usually more implicit in advertising. If an ad contains nonsensical or blatantly false language there is a greater probability that I will notice the falsehood than if an ad's appeal to sense perception is mendacity.
2)I'm pretty desensitized to advertising as it is. "The Persuaders" did little to alter my perceptions of advertising, although when I watch movies I wonder how much product placement exists. However, the ideas presented in "The Persuaders," although they were interesting, they weren't novel or groundbreaking. Our materialistic culture guarantees that we are surrounded by advertising, and most of us, I think, have realized that we cannot trust advertising verbatim.

Danya said...

1. Language is definitely a more effective persuasion method for me than sense perception. I process everything in physical words; that's just how my brain works. So when an ad comes on that contains particularly witty or clever dialogue, it immediately catches my attention. Catchy slogans are more effective than visual stimulation.
Although I pay more attention to language, sense perception is important as well. Music that enhances language helps a lot, but like I said, language is definitely most important to me.
2. While I wouldn't say my view of the entire world has changed after watching "The Persuaders," my view of the marketing world definitely has. Since I watched this movie, I have caught myself thinking about specific commercials and which age/gender group they target. Also, when I watch movies, I sometimes catch specific brand marketing... for example, when I went to the movie theater, a Coca-Cola commercial came on before the movie. It was a joint commercial between Coca-Cola and Wal-Mart, and I was able to connect this back to "The Persuaders."

Sophia said...

Personally, I believe that both WOKs have a very important impact on us when others are trying to persuade. If you think about it, we all react instinctively towards sense perception at first, it's obviously our natural instinct. So they find ways to transfer subliminal messages within the things we pick up through the senses, but then they also confirm those messages through their use of language. I think that both are incredibly important being that the way each person interprets them are very personal, yet are broad enough to work for mass amounts of people in order to persuade. In 10th grade when we were doing our persuasive speeches in English we learned several things about persuading...however the most prominent things were to use the right language in order to have the audience be able to understand it and relate to it, and if possible, use a visual aid. When people find out that they can put words to an actual, tangible image, it becomes more real, and easier to believe that it's truth.

After watching the Persuaders, I find myself actually being somewhat more drawn in to what is being advertised. Silly, I know, but know when I look at an advertisement, I start to analyze it, seeing all of the things that they WANT me to see, when before I really was quite oblivious. I don't know if this is such a good thing...is it possible that I am actually being more brainwashed now; now that I know what to look for?

Phil_S said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Phil_S said...

1) Without a doubt, I would say that sense perception has a much more significant impact on me in comparison to language when it comes to "persuading" me. The reason I say this is because I've become accustomed to advertisers (or people just trying to convey a point in general) who use slight adaptations of language/grammar to attempt to persuade me. Examples of this can be found anywhere--from the obvious advertising to the classroom, and of course, it comes in blatant form at times, while it comes in subtle form at other times. For example, if I'm watching a commercial, my attention is much more likely to be grabbed if the product is being presented via subliminal messaging as opposed to being presented via language and careful choice of words.

2) While I wouldn't say watching "The Persuaders" really changed my views, I will admit that it provoked me to step back and look at the way I personally interpret advertisement. But as it already is, I really don't pay much attention to commercials or political propaganda... so if anything "The Persuaders" reinforced my views.

Liz I. said...

1. personally, i think that both woks have a big impact on my ability to be persuaded. however, i personally have to pay more attention to the language because i think it is easier for me, as a knower, to be manipulated through language instead of sense perception, though both, if i don't consider them thoroughly. if i take something for what it appears on the surface, with language or sense perception, i am easily persuaded. i must look into the subject deeper in order to not be persuaded, or not to be persuaded as easily. for instance, with politcal ads, i am more likely to be persuaded of something that is said by the person that i support. so i, being liberal, believed a lot of the things (mainly negative) said about john mccain and didn't look much farther into what was being said; they had effectively persuaded me mainly through language. many political advertisements got to the point where they were worded so deceitfully that one would be led more easily to believe that what was being said was true.
2. my views on politics have not changed as much after this movie because i already analyzed politics through advertising pretty thoroughly in my practice ia. however, my views on advertising have changed drastically. not only do i now notice product placement EVERYWHERE, but i also notice different techniques commercials use to try to persuade a person through sense perception and language. such as showing happy people having fun in kohls clothing, or advertising a great deal in king soopers (if you have a king soopers card, but that's reading the fine print).

James said...

1. For me sense perception has a much greater impact then language. When I'm watching tv and a comercial comes on i often just listen to my ipod and guess what the comercial is for, or just completely zone out. When a comercial that looks interesting comes on I'll take out my ear phones and listen. Also, with posters or billboards or other visual advertising i almost always am drawn to it by the picture and after examing that i look to the words for clarification etc.

2. It really surprised me how much thought and creativity went into little logos, posters, video clips and all the other advertising methods. Now when i see advertising I analyze it more and often it doesn't influence me as much as it did before now that i know what they are aiming for.

Simone said...

I think for me I'm more visual, so I notice sense perception things, like the colorsthey use, or the music they play. To notice the significance of the language I actually have to think about it and take notice.

Spencer_JB_to_the_Don said...

1) Well I really believe that sense perception most of the time really rules my mind. I remember a time in an airport where I noticed an absolutely awful catchphrase for a certain product, but since it had a pleasing background image I really took a liking to the product. I can't recall exactly what the product was I think it was a car advertisement.

2) I realized the effect that it had on me personally and my perception of advertising. The video actually included an advertisement that really convinced me to buy a BMW. This was a series of short films, all including Clive Owen and ridiculously fast car chases that are nothing short of fake and arrogant. For some reason the films convinced me to go out and buy a BMW.

Kelly C said...

I think sense perception in combination with language have a big impact on me. However overall I think language stands out most to me. I am not an extremely visual person. For example, in school that is not how I learn best. And although this does help, language is what makes me understand and pay attention to a commercial.

I found the "Persuaders" incredibly interesting! I never realized quite how much advertising is present in almost every aspect of our lives. I found the cycle they talked about intriguing as well, how the huge amount of advertising has turned into a vicious cycle that continually calls for more and more advertising in an attempt to stand apart. The movie also made me realize the extent of communication through politics. And one must really investigate and research to truly understand the arguments and points many politicians make.

AllenZhu said...

1) I would probably go with sense perception. Language explains things to me, but I'm never actually persuaded by language. Whenever I see commercials on TV, I listen and understand what's going up, but what gets me are the visuals. If there are a lot of cool designs or picture or motions/actions going on, then I'm probably more likely to pay attention and be like whoa, that was cool, whereas language just seems kind of boring. Yeah, there are a lot of commercials where they have one person talking about the product or just one person talking about whatever and that honestly isn't very persuasive, but engaging sparkling visuals are used, I'm interested and tend to listen more, because it looks more legit. Still, I guess language is still important, especially in conveying a message that visuals might not be able to present.
2) "The Persuaders" is quite the film. I never really understood how the world of advertisement worked and how much effort was involved in the tiniest details. Especially those crazy experiments where the people tried to find a secret formula that they wouldn't show to us, because it's that important. I pretty much thought that I could make a 30 second commercial no problem, but the way that it seems, I'd probably get fired relatively quickly. The new innovation advertising also surprised me, with everyone in the marketing world trying to come up with new ideas to try to sell us products. So much work and thought goes into selling us stuff, and everything about marketing is trying to make us believe that we need whatever they are selling. I guess the more that we are informed of the techniques that marketers use to sell us products, the more aware we will be about commercials which will help us out in the real world as most of us watch commercials or see ads everyday.

Natalie Dunn said...

1.) I personally am more drawn to things such as advertisements through sense perception rather than language. Although both play a roll in attracting an audience such as consumers, the thing that first catches my attention are the graphics, lights, layout, etc. That is what people look at first which leads them to read the actual slogan. I am first drawn by visuals but what is really important may be the language because that is the depth of the advertisement which makes you want to buy it. Both are important but personally I find sense perception to be the key to catching my attention and leading me to want to pay attention to the advertisement and what it is really saying.

2.) After viewing this movie it made me more attuned to the world of advertising around us and how our world full of consumers, especially in the U.S., is just providing fuel to the advertising market and industry. What is really being said is that because people in places like the U.S. are buying so much and really showing to pay attention to advertising, it has opened the door to the giant industry that is advertising which is taking over and leading to the clutter of places like NYC. It goes to show how sneaky industries are that they know exactly how to plant the seed through sense perception in advertising on billboards and sky scrapers to make Americans feel the need to consume more and more.

Jessi G said...

1.i think that to convince me to buy something, it is a combination of both language and sense perception. for example, i really like that liberty mutual comercial where one person helps someone, and then the next person helps someone, and it basically goes back in a circle and they talk about responsibility. the sad part is that i know the name of the company and what the commercial was about and i don't think this is the first time i've talked about the commercial, so obviously it worked. and i think it was mostly sense perception and i liked the idea that just helping someone pick up something they dropped could make a whole chain of good things, and becuase i haven't personally purchased insurance, i don't know that i would buy it from there, but it is definitly one of my options so i think that the combination of the two is really appealing because i think both by themselves and together are really impactful.

2. i think i just notice it more, like i was watching a movie and i noticed certain things like the brand of water a person was drinking and the airline they were flying, and i kept thinking project placement, project placement. so i think that seeing that video has caused me to notice things more, and as far as it being creepy, it was a little weird to know the lengths that people go to to sell something. it was also weird because i found an acutal ad for the airline in the video that i can't think of the name for right now which was interesting. i think that i kind of always knew that this much went into advertising, becasue of things like subliminal messaging, i mean that kind of stuff can take a lot of thought! but also doing things like word-level analysis in english, that stuff applies to anything and so it can totally apply to ads. i find myself doing word level analysis on things like the back of shampoo bottles or ads in magazines for cars. i think that watching the vidoe made me more aware of the fact that this stuff is all around me, and i've started to look twice at things that i didn't look twice at before.

SusieP said...

1. Sense perception definitely plays a key role in catching my attention, even more so than language. Usually, I record TV shows and watch them later so that I can fast forward through all of the commercials. However, if something catches my eye, even while it is zipping by on fast forward mode, I occasionally go back and actually watch the commercial. It is crazy how a clip I just happen to glance at can appeal to me enough to make me go back just to see it. Also, I tend to remember images and actions rather than exact words. For example, whenever I am trying to describe a commercial I might have seen the other day on TV, I am more likely to describe the setting or what happens during the commercial rather than the music or the language. However, I think language does contribute to the persuasion, especially if you aren’t making visual contact with the ad. Then it will be sound that grabs your attention. Still, I think that language is more useful in explaining the product or advertisement than selling it.

2. After watching “The Persuaders” I have been paying a lot more attention to all of the media that surrounds me in everyday life. I was a little freaked out by everything in the movie especially after the truth of it all really sank in. What really scared me was the topic of Acxiom, the company that has records of people’s information and preferences. I couldn’t believe that this company has programs that predict where an individual will be in the future. Also, I feel short of shocked that I didn’t even know about this huge company until seeing the movie. I asked my parents if they had ever heard of it and they hadn’t. How many others are ignorant of this scheme to find out info about individuals’ personal life in order to appeal to each specifically? It’s a little creepy.

Shannon said...

1. I definately find images more persuasive and attractive, mostly because they can look interesting and still sell something, while our English language just isn't very aesthetic. Visually or auditorally. Spoken words don't catch my attention. Music does, but it seems to take a lot more effort to put convincing words into lyrics, so it's the images that actually sell the product. A while ago, pepsi used music in their tv and radio adds, and I still remember them.... but I honestly can't think of any that have caught my attention in the past year or so.

2. I found the movie really interesting. I started looking closer at advertisements and movies to see if there actually are brand names in obvious places. I actually noticed that in the new movie that came out, "Twilight", there's a bunch of Apple products. The main character's computer is an Apple, but what I found most interesting was in one of the most dramatic action scenes, the main character is wearing a pair of white Apple ear buds. It's one of those objects that is unmistakable, yet common place so you don't really notice it... but apple must have paid to put it there.

taydolak said...

-1. I would say sense perception has a bigger effect on me simply because I believe that sense perception just has more power because it can affect you in more ways. Language only involves the meanings of words, but sense perception is your sight as well as your smell, feel, hearing, and maybe even taste too. Sense perception is more instantaneous, and I think it leaves are more lasting impression. Especially because it is incorporated into language a lot with the color and font of words, but I would believe those are senses and not language. An example is how in magazines I always try out the ads that have the purfume samples that you can smell because those are the most exciting and even if they smell bad I remember them because they involve me more. Also, when absentmindedly flipping through magazines and stuff it's the pics that grab my attention.
-2. I think that the movie was a little disturbing. Personally, it's sorta disgusting that this much effort and work and money goes into stuff like this when in my opinion there are a lot of other things that it could be doing. Also I think it's sorta sad because the movie was totally true and everyone, me included, are generally very easily persuaded through techniques like this. It made me more consious of what is being thrown at me all the time, and I think I try and be more judgemental about ads now.

Ben White Chocolate Olsen said...

1) When I'm watching TV, the time I intake majority of my advertisement, I am mainly looking at the picture of the screen and the movements, the colors, and other elements similar to that so I would say that sense perception is much more influencing for me. I really don't notice the language involved in the advertisement.

2)I never realized how much thought and research is put into advertisement of products or advertisements in politics. It's kinda disappointing actually because I think this causes people to either vote for or buy the product that is advertised the best instead of voting for the best candidate or buying the best product.

Kathryn said...

1) Of the two ways of knowing, i think language has a greater impact on me. In a lot of advertising, i think that without a visual aid, the language of the ad still has a strong effect, but if the visual came without words then it would not have nearly the same effect. For example, ads on the radio rely solely on the use of language, and these ads still catch my attention, but commercials with only music and no use of language usually have no persuasive impact on me.

2) I didn't know much about the world of advertising before watching "The Persuaders." Now I find myself paying a lot more attention to product placement and wondering what kind of alterations went into this ad just to persuade me into agreeing with the stance of the creators? I'd say that's a negative thing...are people that easily swayed by maybe 30 seconds of a flashy car or make-up commercial?

Durrie said...

The Persuaders kind of creeped me out... where do you guys think we'll be in 20 years? How much farther will capitalism's need for advertising permeate our lives? I don't know if you've noticed, but the product placement in tv shows, it's totally there. All the time. All the closeup shots of cell phones that are just long enough for you to register the brand, the references to clothing stores or designers, settings, cars driving back, it kind of makes me want to puke. :)

meredith said...

1.) Sense perception has a more significant impact on me in commercial advertising, because of factors like product placement or even just powerful visuals and/or music that intrigue me before language is even present. I will be more inclined to go see a movie that has been rigorously promoted as opposed to a movie not advertised as much, an example of product placement in some respects. Using the same example, a movie preview with more interesting and powerful visuals will be more likely to catch my attention than one that is more bland… of course, in movies language is also essential, which is why both are necessary. However, sense perception rather than the language is what triggers my initial response to an advertisment of any kind. Even in politics, I think that I am more persuaded by sense perception than I would like to think I am… I find myself making judgments about political candidates based on their clothing, posture, body language etc., and it is distracting when language really seems to be the real issue at hand.


2.) “The Persuaders” didn’t really change my view of the worlds of persuasion, yet it did increase my awareness of how central persuasion and the resulting consumption has become. After all, this is all taking place around us everyday, yet we have become so desensitized by the overstimulation of persuasion—the constant battle for the public’s attention in our society—that it is somewhat of a shock to find how easy mass manipulation is with the advancement of technology. At one point in the video, we were shown the ChoicePoint computer database which stores millions of profiles on consumers. This really made me wonder, how much are we really in control of what/how we consume? Have we become victims of “the persuaders,” the information and methods they utilize… have they reined us in, or are we simply choosing to be persuaded? I came to realize just how vital accessibility is in persuading consumers, for instance the Ipod: is it really the best product, or is Apple just a marketing/advertising and distributing genius? One of my preconceptions surrounding the advertising industries was that they rely mostly on costumer loyalty by claiming a superior product or a “better deal,” but after watching “the persuaders” I realized the extent the persuasion industries go in researching and refining methods to reinforce an emotional attachment between Americans and the brands they buy.

Flip said...

1)In deciding whether language or sense perception has a greater impact me, I'd have to say that sense perception has a greater impact on me, almost for the exact opposite reason of justina. I tend to block out most of what people are on television for example because so much of it I've found to be unhelpful and meaningless to me, however I can still appreciate the visual aspect of a commercial. I think music that I recognize, (real songs, not jingles) also plays a large role in getting my attention because I already connect them with enjoyment, and tying them to a product tends to bring that same emotion back to it, to some degree.

2)I've looked at advertising before, my parents have thought it could be a good career possibility, and so I was already a bit aware of how extreme some companies try to be in order to break through the noise. This movie acted more as a confirmation rather than a new perspective, though some of the more novel concepts, such as the word-reptillian emotional connections was new, and I found to be very interesting. I think advertising is a really fascinating field psychologically, but since I am usually on the other end of the ads, it just becomes annoying and fake

Ellen Palmquist said...

I am influenced a lot more by the way information is presented visually. If something is aesthetically pleasing, I am much more likely to pay attention to it. For example, I love watching the old target ads because the graphics were so interesting and the way they were presented was visually pleasing to me. I am also drawn to sound in advertising. A great example of this is the macbook commercial. I loved the song that was playing and found myself interested in the product because of the song. Language impacts me as well, although not as much. If an ad has a catchy slogan or is a certain brand, it may appeal to me soley because of the words, regardless of the way it is presented. If there is an ad in a magazine for a brand I like, I will pay attention to it because of the brand name and not necessarily because of the products being shown. I use my familliarity with the product to know that there is a high chance I will like the product they are selling.

Ellen Palmquist said...

Becaues advertising is a career that appeals to me, I was, suprisingly, not disgusted with the Persuaders. I enjoyed looking at the different ways people advertise, and the methods they go through. I found it very interesting. I wouldn't say that I notice more than I did before, or catch myself disregarding ads, but now I understand the process behind the ads, while before I always wondered. The one thing I was disturbed by was the database that had everyone's personal information. I understand why politicians would use this to help their campaign, but I don't know how comfortable I am having a computer labeling me as a certain "category" of person. It doesn't seem as personal as it used to, or maybe it's that it's almost too personal. How can they know so much?!!!

Ali said...

1)
For me, sense perception has a greater impact on whether i'm going to be influenced by a persuasion. If i see a really well done commercial with animations and a crisp, clean, professional
look, I'm more likely to go for that product than one that has a poorly constructed ad, website, or even packaging.

2)
I'm really aware of how much we (as consumers and non-consumers alike) are completely pounded with advertisements and information that we probably don't want anyway. Even so, we don't realize this and still consume every little bit of information that's thrown at us. We're ultimately like a mass of consumer-zombies, controlled by the media, the advertisements, and the products that they're selling us. It's just like either the persuaders or Arcadia said, something about "A world full of noise and we have to filter everything out".

That was the non-ib part, the zombie thing.

Abby said...

1) For me, I think that sense perception is what influences me more when looking at advertisements, though language also plays a role. I pay more attention to the pages in a magazine that have bright colors, an interesting image, or something else that realtes to my senses. I think that language can be very effective when combined with sense perception, but alone it really doesn't do much for me. I feel that language has been done, but manipulation of the senses can be unexpected.
2) I was very shocked. I had no idea how much thought, time, and effort went into the business of advertisement. It's frightening how much information can be used from everyday people in order to get the best results from the consumers. I have definately been more careful when viewing ads lately to try and find the hidden manipulative tools used to persuade me in some way. I realize how much I bought into the clever or interesting ads in the past. Overall it was very shocking.

Paige said...

1. For me both language and sense perception play a huge role in how I view products and advertisements. However, I feel that even with the importance of language, sense perception is more important to me and effects like lighting, music and color persuade me one way or another. Visuals are really important in how your feel, your emotions and what you see the product with and as. In political ads, sense perception really gets me. I listen to the words they are saying but more than that, I focus on the voices and lighting and how the ad is put together.

2. After watching, "The Persuaders", I can see how naive and vunerable we all are to advertising schemes and scams. How we so easily get persuaded is kinda scary because with one good argument, our whole view point and values could change. The video really opened my eyes to how much more smart and aware I need to be when I watch TV or hear ads because I could easily be drawn in and brainwashed if I don't think about it.

rachelchipndale said...

1) i think sense perception plays a role in every advertisment because they are trying to relate to our daily life, so we can consider of buying their product. Mostly emotionally, nowadays the advertisments are using compare and contrast to emphasize the benefits of their product than the other brand. By emphasizing their product, it makes us think back in the past that "the old product isn't that great, maybe i will consider this brand new product" Of cource, language is also necessary because language is trying to catch our eyes on the TV.
2) i know the company had spent a long time to produce the advertisments. However, i think it is too exaggerated. for example, the washing detergent for clothing, they always put coffee, spaggetti sauce on a white shirt. Then, they say this detergent will wash off all the stain on your clothes and go back to a pure white shirt. I always think are they for real, a white shirt can become a pure white shirt after all the stain. Hence, this kind of advertisment i usually aviod because they are hard for me to believe.

Michael W. said...

1) Although they both have a pretty large impact on me, I feel that language is the WOK with a greater impact. In politics, I don't really notice as much with my senses about the way people talk or how they're dressed, I am very easily by the language though, which can easily make me switch sides. In advertisement, although there is a lot about sense perception in the music and images that are played, I think that's all interesting, but that doesn't persuade me to buy the product, but instead to watch the ad. What actually would get me to want to leave my house and go buy the product is if they can really prove to me, through the language, that it is necessary for me to do so. So far, only Sonic has persuaded me to do so, with "cool refreshing drinks" and "over 1000 combinations to choose from." Yes, the clips of people drinking, and the very tasty image is there, but if they didn't have any words spoken except for sonic, I feel like I wouldn't go buy a drink there.

2)I've begun to notice how people are using their language in every day speech. When watching advertisements, I have noticed how their use of words really does help make some products seem like they need to be bought. Like for example, "call now and get (insert random product) absolutely free!" always makes me want to call them, just because its sort of commanding me to get a free item that I might not want just because its free.

tucker said...

1) I agree that both sense perception and language both have a super big impact on me, i believe sense perception has a larger one. i feel like I am the type of person who would only pay attention to the ad if it were aesthetically pleasing, like i kinda tune everything out until it catches my eye. It also has to be something that i happen to hear and recognize for me to begin actually listening (for example when i hear Christina Aguilara's voice on the target commercial).
2) i have payed more attention to the adds, and 'product placement' in movies and shows, and recognized it much quicker, however i don't think it is avoidable or really a bad thing because for as long as i can remember i've thought of commercials as business and not stuff to buy if that makes sense (as in a way to get money not give to the public) I think personally i will be more careful and resourceful before i go out and make my next big purchase, but i didn't find it too shocking.

JgrG said...

1. I think language has a greater impact on me, however when i was younger visuals and sense perception definetly impacted me much more. I think a major impact on this shift has been my education especially IB and how ive been taught to look in detail at language. Another impact has been my participation in forensics, which forces me to look in detail at language. An example of this is when i was younger i would want any toy that looked fun on television. No matter if the tv was on mute or on max volume i would discard anything they were saying and concentrate on the visual aspect.

2. I think the insight into advertising has changed the way i look at products and how they are being marketed or made. An example of this is before the video i was perplexed about why American auto makers did not shrink SUV's for fuel efficiency. Now on my trip to arizona i found there were alot of large SUVs. There was one in particular that made me remember The Persuaders, this one had a large intimidating front that had a bumber and grill the size of piece of plywood. This made me remember that auto makers were being told to make SUVs that made the driver feel Superior, this connection to the persauders helped me notice the change in point of view.

Callie said...

1. I am more of a visual person, so I think that sense perception influences me more. I am drawn to colors and pictures because of the feelings that they evoke. When somebody uses language to try to prove something to me (such as the superiority of a product) then I am more likely to listen to the language and try to disprove it. When somebody shows me a visual to persuade me of something, than I am more likely to accept it as truth. For example, commercials that show visually how a certain brand of stain remover works best by showing an experiment are definitely more influential to me than slogans that claim what a product can do but don't actually do it. The problem of being more easily persuaded visually is that I have to think critically about the source of the visual, and whether or not it has been altered by technology.
2. I have definitely started paying attention to advertisements more after seeing this film. For example, I have been seeing a lot of holiday advertisements lately, and I have noticed how a lot of them try to appeal to the theme of going home for Christmas and the holidays. They seem to be saying that if you buy this brand of soup or car or digital camera, then you will be contributing to this sense of family and spirit of the season. I have also been paying attention to whether or not advertisements actually persuade me to buy something. I tend to think that I am not persuaded by materialistic advertisements, and that I buy things based on the quality of the product and the price. However, I will choose supposedly "environmental" products over regular ones because I believe in the cause, even if the two products have similar environmental impacts.

Micha said...

1) When others are trying to persuade me of something, I think that sense perception is dominant. Being an intuitive person, I can often see through the facades that people try to put up through the use of language, and so it does not affect me as much. I am much more affected by what I see as they actively try to persuade me of something. For example, when talking to my mother about assorted things, I can often tell when she is upset with me, not because of what she says, but rather through her facial expressions and body language.
2)The movie "The Persuaders" opened my eyes to a lot of advertising techniques which I had never been aware of before. Like Justina said, it was really scary to see how underlying messages are conveyed. Now, after watching the movie, I am much more aware of these techniques. So for example, while watching a movie, I caught many instances of subliminal advertising - such as using certain products in movies/ads. One that was very visible to me, was during a christmas ad for walmart. The man in the ad just kept giving Coca Cola to everyone else. So though this was officially an ad for Walmart, I am positive that it was advertising Coca Cola as well

DrewC aka BA said...

Others try to persuade you of things constantly. Our whole world revolves around the idea of persuading other people trying to persuade each other one way or another. That occurs in business, advertising, sports, relationships, school etc. For me sense perception has a bigger impact because visuals and what I myself am left to interpret leaves a greater impact than language. Such as in chemistry, you can explain something and how it happens 100 different ways but it will have more impact if I am able to see the reaction.
After watching "The persuaders" I found it very interesting the ideas behind what they do and the creating of a false reality. My overall view of advertising didn't change but I was surprised by some of the "word research" and how powerful that was to advertising.

tymyshu said...

1) For me, its definitely the language. The pictures they show, the music they play, it will all attract my immediate attention, however if the language doesn't make sense, doesn't affect me, or is uninteresting, I quickly lose interest.

2) The movie definitely freaked me out a bit, but it ultimately didn't really affect how i view marketing. I was suspicious of it before, and I am suspicious of it now. A great example of this is when i see an add for a guitar: it will show it at its best, and will show all the good parts of it; but just because of the add, I'm not going to buy the guitar. The add may make me interested, in which case i would do more research into the guitar before buying it. I would get second opinions, see if any artists i respect use it, and if at all possible, play it before hand to get a feel for it. only after I have personally decided i like it, and not been told I like it by a piece of paper in a magazine, will i buy it.

Simone said...

1) Sense perception has the largest impact on me; I'm a very visual person and I have to really concentrate to pick up on subtlties in language. A good example of this is the Hagan-Daas Ice cream commercial that they showed in the Persuaders video. I can tell you what they showed on the screen, but as for the language they used, I can't even remember if there was language in any way, shape or form. I can remember people's facial expressions when they speak to me, along with their hand gestures and body language, but I can't actually remember exactly what they said.
2) In response to the second question, I really have changed how I look at advertising. For example, this weekend I went to see a movie. This is not that different from any other weekend, but in this case I went to see Madagascar 2, which is rated PG. Usually I go to see more, well, adult movies. The previews and the content of the pre-movie advertising is so different; it's shocking. All of the previews are for movies that are for children, Cinemark renames its Firstlook feature and calls it 'Firstlook Playtime.' The pre-movie advertising revolved around children's hospitals, and very emotional appeals to parents for donations.
So I guess the big thing for me is that I don't realize the degree to which advertising is geared toward me until I watch something that is not geared to me or my demographic. The juxtaposition goes further to highlight the science the advertisers use. And that's just what I noticed. I'm sure if I looked at it and analyzed it in more depth, it would become more apparent.

Peter XP said...

1. Well, when I recall my favorite commercials plopped on el coche(the couch) glaring at the TV that enticed me whimsically to desire their product, though my Asian money management mode kicks into hyper drive, I recognize a few key aspects of the ordeal. First of all, I will NOT give a second glance at the screen unless the rapt image/sound evokes senses such as mystery, energy, or confusion. Only after this hump will I then listen to what the language of the ad conveys. But remember, ADD due to TV is always evident, so if boredom ever upwells, I CLICK DA BUTTON. It's like a screening process for bad eggs, tossing the rank ones out (nasty). Overall, it must yank my sense perception and literally enchant me when it's selling its product to be successful. As the first aspect, sense perception has greater impact on me. Remember, this also applies to everyday interactions with people when meeting strangers or maybe even just a friend (pss..BE INTERESTING!)

2. Well, my perception of the advertisement world has dramatically changed from what my pops told me, "These Americans are trying to rip you off!" (constant vigilance) to analyzing what method the company is attempting to sway me through sense perception and language. The "holy" method of connecting on a deeper level to the costumer (ads with family) was quite profound. It's fantastic how these suits (business people) pilgrimage to Mecca (old dude's house) for even one crumb of advice to help them, cra-crazy. Overall though, the film doesn't really change my paradigm of my existing world, being in IB and already recognizing these signs through "high-level analysis" of my environment, though the real-life application was pretty BA. Also, I learned how every detail counts in such matters, but how not to sacrifice the strong points to cover up the weak ones.

P.S. Any other awesome films like dis one?

Peter XP said...

On another note, I just wanted to say something cool, you know, since I'm awesome. Anyway, although from viewing the movie clip and thus comprehending the dynamics of advertisement, no matter how much we analyze a certain ad as to how it invokes desire deep within us, there's simply nothing we can really do about that feeling. Of course, this is only in cases where the commercial follows the "golden rule" the guru mentioned in which the ad connects on a deeper level than the conscious brain of thought, but to the emotional, maybe even the physical (Triune Brain Model). You cannot rationale it and you cannot dismiss it if it truly does this, because it becomes more than a product at this moment and builds connections to you personally. That's all I got, ttyl.

Anonymous said...

1. For me personally, sense perception plays a larger role in the persuasion of advertisements, politics, etc. It is my sense perception which usually grabs my attention, and then I shift and focus on the language used. The iPod commercials are a great example of this, as "The Persuaders" mentioned. When they started airing a few years ago (even though they were simpler then), they immediately grabbed my attention. The simple colors, the dancing black silhouette, the white iPod along with the bright music grab my attention immidately. Through their use of new music and graphics, which had previously not been used like that before, the iPod commercials have grabbed many people's attention.

2. A year or so ago, I had read an article which talked about advertising and how it was changing in this century. It mentioned that no longer were advertisements trying to sell you their product, they were trying to sell you things like freedom and family time. Because of this article, I had been slightly aware of how the advertisements worked. When we watched "The Persuaders", I started paying even more attention to them. I went and saw a movie the other day and one of the advertisements was for Coca Cola. It ended with "stock up on joy". I had to laugh at that point because they were clearly not selling the viewer coca cola anymore, but rather joy.

Vlad said...

1. Sense perception affects me most, for example with commercials, when they are trying to sell hair growth products, or slimming pills, they show the before picture of a person in black and white, not smiling, and a few other problems aside, the after picture is in full color, they have full wavy hair, or are at least half their original size, and they are wearing fashionable clothing and makeup. These drastic changes affects me more than what they are saying.

2. It opened my mind to the reality that there is a ridiculous amount of advertising out there that we have learned to block out, or think we do, and what is most strange is the fact that advertisers are clearing benefiting from what they do, so advertising must work, even if you quickly glance at a billboard while driving somewhere, or look at all the logos on the sports uniform of an athlete.

Nick said...

1. For me, it is a combination of both language and sense perception. If an ad has a fantastic song or really cool picture right at the beginning, it will capture my attention more readily than an advertisement that is just words. After the advertisement has my attention by using the music or picture, the words themselves will have a much better impact on me.

2. The advertising industry is far creepier than I thought it was before watching "The Persuaders". I was aware that there were different types of advertisement that were directed at different groups of people, but I had no idea that the advertising industry had the ability to access almost all of the information about my life and use that to target me specifically in their advertising. I am honestly quite a bit more scared now than I was before watching the movie, just because now I realize how much of my personal information is being used to make me want to buy things.

Nick C.

kgibbs said...

1. For me personally I would say that language has the biggest effect. I can really tune out all of the cool looking posters, flashy signs, but when someone is trying to talk to me it is harder to resist. An example is when salesman talks to me personally in a store.

kgibbs said...

2. I hadn't realized how much advertising there is now in the world. My family has no TV and we don't often go to big cities so we miss a lot of it. It is also pretty scary how much information axion has about us. Lastly it reminds me to always think if advertising has had an effect on me before buying something. It isn't always easy to detect.

katealta said...

1. Overall, sense perception definitely has a greater impact on me. For example, when I am watching TV I don’t really pay attention to the words they are saying, more just to the color, the images, and the music. Sometimes, language helps me understand something that’s happening but it never really has persuaded me. I guess I could say in commercials where there is just one person talking about something, I am a lot less likely to pay attention because no matter what they say they are using worn out words that have no meaning to us anymore.
2. I though “The Persuaders” was super interesting! I had a small idea that companies put money towards advertising, etc. but I had no idea there was such an industry in researching advertisements. After seeing this movie, I am a lot more attuned to the world around me and all the advertisements that I see, especially during the programs on tv (the characters are drinking coke, etc.) and in movies.