Martin Lindstrom’s article, How Subliminal Advertising Works, does a fantastic job of outlining the 5 Top Types of Subliminal Advertising that influence choices consumers make.

Weight - When faced with the choice of a heavy remote control or one that is lighter, consumers chose the heavier one because the lighter one felt like it was broken. Manufacturers know this and put filler into some electronics like MP3s to make them feel heavier.

Tradition - The old Mexican tradition of putting a lime into a Corona actually only dates back to 1981 and a bartender making a bet to see if he can start a tradition. Corona’s entire business took off and many ads have been created celebrating this imaginary Mexican tradition.

Music - The beat of the music in the store greatly affects how quickly you shop and therefore how much you buy. The faster the beat, the faster the shopper and the less that is purchased.

Geography - Branding is how you feel about a product. If offered a choice between a car from turkey and a car from Switzerland, that is when branding kicks in and you go for the Swiss auto. Why? Your perception that the car from Turkey will be a turkey. Ask yourself, do you want perfume from Paris or from Detroit?

Shape - The shape of the bottle or the package determines a great deal about how you will feel about it. If the container of diet mayo is shapely with a narrow waist, women will choose it more often than one that is short and squat. We are drawn to the shape of products that reflect how we want to look.

Just as casinos pump oxygen into the windowless gaming area so players stay energized and don’t notice the passage of time, so to do manufacturers use their knowledge of the consumer to assist with the best way to present their product.

The human mind is a wonderful thing.

Original Article