How to sell facts
When I first saw these anti-drug ads I thought they were a parody.
The anti-drug campaign in the US is grounded on loose “facts” and this PSA just points that out!
But when it comes to influencing public opinion, it’s enough to:
- Show a debate around a topic.
- Show one side winning through body language.
This technique is much more effective than supporting a position with “rational” arguments.
These high fructose corn syrup ads follow a similar formula.
The ads are carried by the expressions of the actors playing the losing side. These smart alecs think they know what they’re talking about but then are surprised and humbled by the unwavering resolve of the winning side.
It’s amazing to me how easily the human mind can be influenced. So much of what we consider true is based on what others consider true. And we grant the authority to decide truth based on signals of authority, such as body language. My favorite moments in Don DeLillo’s White Noise are the absurd situations that this leads us to.
One final propaganda ad, I recently saw this trailer on Hulu. Honda is running ads to change the public perception of robots. They’re not the bad guys!
the fact that honda is bothering to address robophobia is super creepy
Exactly! Ads like this can change public perception without even being convincing towards one side of a debate, by merely showing that people are concerned about some topic.
This was why I was so interested in Matt Garcia’s “Don’t Ban Smoking, California” ad campaign. For me, the message wasn’t to ban or not ban smoking, just that people are even talking about banning tobacco in an entire state!
We are approaching a point where moral decisions are so complex that it’s absolutely impossible for people to make informed decisions. Consider topics like nuclear power and cloning. For issues like these, it will become more important to convince people that a certain position is the status quo rather than that a certain position is “right”. Propaganda like this will become the medium for society to negotiate these issues.
this phenomena is the premise to the tv show “real time with bill maher”
I’d like to add a piece which may be considered a scarecrow argument… Yet, I would also caution all of us to recognize the true threat robots may pose to us in our golden years when all they want is our medicine for their fuel.
truth? http://www.hulu.com/watch/2340/saturday-night-live-old-glory