Advertising vs. Brainwashing

14 years ago
Posts: 2126
Alright, so I got in a rather heated discussion with my twin today about Apple. I said how they were brainwashing people into thinking they need something they already have, (for example, how she has an Ipod touch with its texting app but wants an Iphone) and she was all like, "It's not Brainwashing, just good marketing."
So, with my Dystopian novel kick lately, that made me think. Is there really a difference between advertisement and brainwashing? How can you tell when it goes a step too far? What really is Brainwashing anyway? I know when I think of brainwashing I always think of mindless zombies, but couldn't it be subtler then that? Even IF we are being brainwashed, what could we do about it?
Thus, as it always is when I think about something, I wanted to see what y'all thought. Feel free to add more questions in your posts if you'd like, or answer questions I didn't ask. Just keep on topic. 😀
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14 years ago
Posts: 539
It's not only advertisement that does brainwashing. The life is a lot more controlled and regulated if to give a good think about it (politics, religion, your living space, what you see walking your every-day road...). What to do to avoid advertisement brainwashing? Think over well whether you need that stuff. And that's pretty much all I can come up with.
By the way, what does your dystopian kick include?

14 years ago
Posts: 2506
This is more along the lines of avarice by your twin. No worries.
As for brainwashing, usually it's propaganda from a single source while stifling other sources, ultimately resulting in belief because it's the only thing you know. There's also an option to be louder and more in ones face. Either way, your twin would have to do this to herself... and brainwashing oneself is... morally... OK?
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14 years ago
Posts: 2128
It's marketing. There's nothing remotely subliminal in it.
Idiots still fall for it, so it might as well be brainwashing to them (even if they don't realize). A lot of businesses depend on idiots like these to pass on the word to their fellow idiots, saying it's a requirement of life or some shit like that.
I mean, those social networking things like Facefuck and TwittyTwat don't exactly brainwash you into using them, but they do cleverly prey on your insecurities and lack of social life, causing retards like this to often "brainwash" themselves into worshipping shit for shit's sake.
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14 years ago
Posts: 603
Quote from G-17
It's marketing. There's nothing remotely subliminal in it.
I was about to say something about subliminal advertising...However its actualy illegal to make adverts like that 🤣 Apparantly there are people who check the quality of advertisement.
For example there was a subliminal beer advertisement. Something along the lines of "after a hard day of WORK...enjoy....". After that advert campaign, after 5pm their product sky rocketed in sales.
Apple MIGHT be doing it in a sutle way but i highly dought it with the amount of controll going on in adds.
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14 years ago
Posts: 1078
Methinks you need to slap some sense into your sister.

14 years ago
Posts: 1899
Quote from G-17
It's marketing. There's nothing remotely subliminal in it.
Idiots still fall for it, so it might as well be brainwashing to them (even if they don't realize). A lot of businesses depend on idiots like these to pass on the word to their fellow idiots, saying it's a requirement of life or some shit like that.
I mean, those social networking things like Facefuck and TwittyTwat don't exactly brainwash you into using them, but they do cleverly prey on your insecurities and lack of social life, causing retards like this to often "brainwash" themselves into worshipping shit for shit's sake.
Gan here basically hit the nail on the head. Advertising isn't essentially brainwashing, but it can have that effect amongst the insecure and the abnormally malleable.
Generally speaking, though, what advertising does is provide information in a way that sounds enticing. It's a kind of seduction, which from my perspective, is slightly different from brainwashing.
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14 years ago
Posts: 53
Advertising IS Brainwashing even when not intended.

14 years ago
Posts: 252
Advertising is a mult-million dollar industry. Companies pour time, money, and man power into a form of advertisment in the hopes the sales increase. They want you to buy their product. That's why Nike, McDolands, Skittles, etc nail in those logos and sayings into your brain. Just do it, I'm lovin it, taste the rainbow! That's just the tip, their logos like the little check Nike symbol and the golden arc can be recognised worldwide. It's subtle brainwashing.
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