Advertising photography is – from a commercial point of view – very interesting
for photographers. These jobs are very good paid! But are the advertisement succeed?
Henry Ford said: “I know that 50% of our advertisements don’t work, but I don’t
know which half it is?” This is why ads are always tested. The companies present
their advertisements to the people and ask if they understand the ad, recognise
the logo, like the photo and so on. Biggest question is: “Do you remember the
ad?”
Photographers should take photos to remember! Advertising agencies try to find
tools for making ads work better, like: show always blue sky and bright sunlight!
Use colour codes – if the brand colour is green, use only green clothed models!
For car ads make sure to have a sexy lady in the background! And many more
rules for photographers.
Pure nonsense! But this bizarre show to increase advertising effects goes on with
a new tool: NEUROMARKETING.
Test subjects had to watch advertisements whilst in a magnetic resonance tomograph
(MRT) – and lo and behold: their brains lit up! Wow! Nobody knows yet why
they lit up, but market researchers are convinced they have discovered a new line
of business with “the potential to fundamentally revolutionise brand management”,
via “direct access to the consumer’s brain”.
Is that true? I researched myself.

First of all, we improvised an MRT. For
this we used an old oven and connected
it to an … erm … a cathode ray,
the usual, you know … and an ironing
board as an examination table. If you
ask me, that’s the way the real things
are built, they’re just camouflaged
better!
Next we needed a test person, and
who better for the job than my brother
Markus? In the MRT, he was shown a
magazine. And there, can you see it on
the monitor? His brain’s lit up!!! This is
what is known as the “reward centre”. It
lights up most when confronted with
a washing powder advert. See: clear
proof of the potential of brain research!

Now let’s take it a step further: I’m going
to directly access the test person’s
brain. With the aid of, erm … what was
it called again? Ah, yes … with a magnetic
resonance indoctrinator, I’m going
to project my sales message about
ATA, the scouring agent. “Buy ATA! ATA
will make you happy!” And the brain
promptly shows ATA “indoctrination”, as
scientists call it.

So, is it really possible to “specifically
turn a consumer into a buyer and lastingly
manifest a brand in the brain”, as
the agency BBDO predicts?

Well, only 30 minutes on, my brother
was seized by a strong desire to go
shopping, so we took him to the
supermarket. What will he buy, we all
wondered? ATA, of course! There’s the
proof: neuromarketing really works!
Yihoo!