32 Ways Advertisers Have Learned to Get in Your Head and Pilot You Like a Megazord
We’re powerless to resist them
![32 Ways Advertisers Have Learned to Get in Your Head and Pilot You Like a Megazord](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/5/6/1014556_320x180.jpg)
The most insidious thing about marketing and advertising is that it actually works. There’s an army of people being paid to figure out how to get us to buy items we’ll never use and food we could make at home. They’re already lodged firmly in your brain — and in the case of subscriptions, your credit card. Resistance is futile.
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![Friendly waiters know they'll get a good tip. Yes, the food was cold and awful-but the waiter was so friendly! Не called you by name! Не gave you a free mint! These are all tricks wait staff use to get a bigger tip -and they work. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/7/8/1014578.jpg)
![CRACKED.COM Ten million people can't be wrong! Social proof pushes you to fit in with the crowd. Humans like to belong. If everyone is doing something, you're more likely to do it too. Marketers know this, and will try to convince you everyone else is buying what they're selling.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/7/9/1014579.jpg)
![CRACKED.COM Repetition drives the point home. Each time you hear something, it gets embedded deeper into your brain. Carefully spaced repetition of key ideas can lead you into agreeing with whatever you're been told.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/7/5/1014575.jpg)
![Free coffee makes you easier to sway. These people are nice to give a complimentary cup, aren't they? Guess what: Caffeine makes you more susceptible to persuasion. They're low- key drugging you into spending. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/7/3/1014573.jpg)
![GRAGKED.COM We assume shiny means good quality. Deep down, people are animals. We're attracted to shiny things. Jewels, polished cars, brightly lit storefronts-i if it shines, we're willing to pay more for it.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/7/2/1014572.jpg)
![These bananas are $50 a pound. What? That's crazy! OK, five bucks for you. That's much better. The door-in-the-face technique makes you feel you're getting a bargain. Someone makes you an outrageous request that you're sure to reject. Then they'll make a more reasonable request, which you are now likely to accept. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/8/1/1014581.jpg)
![CRACKED.COM Do not be square and rude! Get an éclair, my dude! The rhyme-as-reason effect spits rhymes to persuade you. This is a bias your brain has, which makes you think of a statement as more true or accurate if it rhymes.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/7/7/1014577.jpg)
![Brand recognition overrides what you're actually Coca seeing and feeling. A brand-name soda will taste better (and be worth more to you) than a cheap knockoff-even if they're exactly the same stuff. Your brain works differently when it expects something to be good. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/8/4/1014584.jpg)
![CRACKED.COM Do you want the regular package, or the special premium package? The presumptive close makes your decision for you. The salesperson acts like you've already decided to buy, never giving you a chance to say no. If you're offered any choice at all, it will be between two different yes options.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/8/8/1014588.jpg)
![If I can have your attention for only 11 minutes... That is sure to pique your curiosity. The pique technique is intended to surprise you and arouse your curiosity with an unusual request. That way, you'll listen instead of just saying no outright. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/8/3/1014583.jpg)
![A responsible person like you wouldn't go around uninsured. Altercasting gives you a part to play. If you're cast in a role (a conscientious neighbor, a good mother, and so on), you will feel compelled to act accordingly. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/8/9/1014589.jpg)
![PRICE Price DROPPED anchoring makes a price Was $6.15 06/02 seem lower than it is. $ 450 If a new fancy gizmo costs $500, you won't buy it. But if you're told that that the regular price is $1,000, you'll jump at the bargain. The twist, of course, is that the regular price was always $500. $1.13 per 100 CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/7/0/1014570.jpg)
![This phone costs you $70 per megapixel. It's a bargain! The disrupt- then- reframe technique is meant to derail your train of thought. You're told something unusual, even nonsensical, that makes you go huh?- then you're helpfully given something rational- sounding that you'll be happy to cling to. GRAGKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/8/6/1014586.jpg)
![CRACKED.COM Does it say here that your credit rating is low...? Oh, sorry, I had the wrong file. The fear-then-relief tactic is evil, but effective. Someone gives you something to fear or be anxious about, only to immediately ease your concerns. After this wild mood swing, you become more trusting and pliable for a while.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/6/9/1014569.jpg)
![Salespeople tailor their personas to you. Every customer is different-and a good salesperson will pick up on this and change their selling style accordingly. They're playing a character devised to sell stuff to you specifically. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/8/5/1014585.jpg)
![GRAGKED.COM Ifyoucallinthenextfiveminutes yougetaspecialbonus.. Talking fast gives an appearance of competence. The stereotype of the fast-talking salesman exists for a reason. Someone running their mouth on full throttle looks like a confident person who knows what they're talking about.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/8/2/1014582.jpg)
![CRACKED.COM Even a penny helps! The legitimization of paltry favors drives you to give. You are more likely to agree to a request if you're told that nothing you give is too little.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/7/4/1014574.jpg)
![CRACKED.COM Yes, I know you're thinking this is a bit pricey... Is that person reading your mind? No, of course sales staff are not psychic. But they can make an educated guess from your body language and other clues. If you're at all suggestible, you'll take them more seriously.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/7/6/1014576.jpg)
![GRACKED.COM Love bombing showers you with affection. Love bombers give you a huge amount of promises and attention to open you up to their influence. This tactic is used to sell you seedier things than a used car r-cults, for example.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/8/0/1014580.jpg)
![Stores are designed to make you spend more. Grocery stores are laid out to force you to walk past as many shelves as possible, increasing your chances of picking up stuff you weren't planning to buy. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/7/1/1014571.jpg)
![Would you like to take our poll? You can say no. This is the but you are free technique. This technique (BYAF for short) emphasizes that you have the option of refusing. This has been shown to increase your likelihood of saying yes. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/8/7/1014587.jpg)
![CRACKED.COM This will be very beneficial for people like us. Inclusive language makes you a part of the cool crew. Someone trying to get you onboard will use we or you and me to include you in the in-group. That way, you're given a sense of solidarity or responsibility.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/6/8/1014568.jpg)
![Just listen to this shit I've got for you. Light swearing makes for greater persuasion. Someone who curses clearly isn't just going through a sales speech-this person is relatable and obviously has strong feelings about what they're saying, damn it! CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/6/7/1014567.jpg)
![Will you sign this petition? Sure! Will you also donate $10? Hum... Sure. Here you go. The foot-in-the-door technique gets you to commit early. This technique is about upselling. Once you've said yes to the first small request, saying no to each escalating request becomes harder. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/6/6/1014566.jpg)
![Will you risk losing everything for skimping on a few bucks? Fear is a powerful motivator. Often, salespeople won't tell you what you stand to gain with what they're selling-they'll tell you what you stand to lose without it. Sensing a threat is sure to loosen up your wallet. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/6/5/1014565.jpg)
![Heating up a wet cotton ball in the microwave is one of the classic tricks for steam shots. A dense cotton wad will hold the steam for a few minutes. so you can hide it behind the food and then shoot from in front.* *Or. you can add the steam later using a custom brush in PS or GIMP. as was done to create this image. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/6/4/1014564.jpg)
![When photographing ice cream, mashed potatoes are used so the hot lights do not melt the product. GRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/6/1/1014561.jpg)
![Fun-Tac clay is often used to hold silverware on the spot wanted by the photographer-instead of, you know where the gravity should have placed it. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/6/0/1014560.jpg)
![To prevent cake crumbs from contaminating the icing between layers, food stylist do this GRAGKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/5/9/1014559.jpg)
![GRACKED.COM Preparation time: several hours in a perfectly lit photo studio. 1. Choose only the best ingredients. 2. Briefly cook the meat on one side so that it's brown, but still juicy and thick. 3. Carefully position the pickles, onion etc., at the same side that will be photographed. 4. Arrange the bun so that it looks thick and perfectly constructed (it is actually lopsided from other angles). 5. Melt the cheese slightly at the corners so it looks floppy, but not congealed. 6. Carefully squirt the mustard and ketchup in with a syringe http://www.adweek.com/adtreak/mcdonalds-shows-you-why-burgers-its-ads-look-better-real-thing-141308](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/6/2/1014562.jpg)
![HAiR: IT'S FAKE! IN SOMETHING LiKE 80% OF FASHiON SHOOTS. THE MODELS' HAiR iS ENHANCED WiTH EXTENSiONS. GRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/6/3/1014563.jpg)
![CRACKED.COM ELMER'S Glue-All](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/5/8/1014558.jpg)