Posted by If the subconscious mind is substantially more powerful than our conscious, and controls 90 percent or more of our thoughts and behavior, could it make a prime target for advertisers to use to influence us?
If that sounds like weird science or a plot for a fiction movie, think again. According to an American Marketing Association study that surveyed 400 companies in 2021, a whopping 77 percent said they planned to experiment with “dream ads” by the year 2025.
Fast forward to today. Is this already happening? How do we know? Digital agency, The Media Image (TMI), just released a study of their own that makes you take a second look.
Their study found that out of 1,101 Americans aged 18 to 35, over half (54%) said they’ve had a dream that was influenced by an ad or included some “ad-like” content. If most US consumers are exposed to 4,000 ads on average daily, could this just be coincidence, or something else?
In 2021, Coors Beverage Company openly admitted to being able to manipulate dreams by putting visions of their products floating through someone’s subconscious “to ensure you’ll have a refreshing dream.” The company tested it during COVID to reportedly help relieve anxiety from the pandemic.
“Targeted Dream Incubation” or “TDI” is a technique used when marketers aim to achieve “dream implantation.” Individuals are strategically exposed to specific sensory stimuli through sights, sounds, and smells associated with a product or service while they’re falling asleep. The goal is to attach those associations so the viewer will then dream about them – a subconscious result that’s exponentially more powerful than conscious thought.
This could take place as a person is lying in bed at night watching a video, perusing online shopping sites, or listening to a certain soundscape before drifting off to sleep.
In TMI’s study targeting Gen Z and Millennials, 41 percent of respondents said they think ads are infiltrating their dreams. Whether that leads to a purchase or not is a different issue. Two thirds of these consumers (66%) said their dreams did not convert into buying the product or service, while just over a third of participants (34%) said their dream did in fact encourage them to make a purchase.
The ethics of this research is strongly debated. Opponents raise concerns over privacy invasion and potential for misuse. Supporters suggest the technology could be used beneficially, such as to help smokers defeat their addiction to cigarettes. A significant portion of Millennials and Gen Zs were focused on the fiscal upside – 41 percent said they would be willing to watch “dream ads” if they could receive discounts on products and services.
Does this signal the start of a brave new world in advertising that will be fighting for territory in our dreams?
Read the full article and study results here.