However, I don’t like gum because is has aspartame and it makes my jaw too sore. So, it makes me think of alternatives like brushing my teeth and flossing in the middle of the day. That is just me though, just as if I were going to look at a billboard trying to sell me a hummer or something I absolutely do not want, others may be into a purchase like that so the advertisement works for them. Advertising doesn’t work for every person but rather the average person. I can imagine this ad works exactly how it is intended. People who like gum looking for a new pack might say, “hmmm, haven’t tried dentyne in a while, I know it doesn’t stick to teeth, I remember the flavor, it’s just one pack… if it’s that bad I can buy a new pack next time, I’ll try it.’ (Did I convince you to try Dentyne next time)

What it makes me think of most is wiping out the things I hate the most: communication via technology. Though I think it is necessary to have internet for sharing/working, we use it for the rest of our contacting insincerely.

I’m with Doug – I think big marketing is dead. Seriously. The culture has evolved; marketing doesn’t work the same way it used to.

Here’s an example of a good ad: on the bus there’s a small billboard that reads:

Brickbreaker won’t help you to find a new home, but avimobile.com will.

It has a picture of a guy holding up a Blackberry. I’m on the bus, I’ve got nothing to do, and I’m interested in buying a new home. So I take out my phone and visit the site.

The great thing about this bus ad is that it is measurable because anyone that visiting that site very likely saw the ad. They can measure hits, track what people looked at, and how long they stayed on the site.

Very smart.

Big advertising, I believe, is becoming less and less effective. Like antibiotics. Or a bandaid that you pull off and put on a bunch times. It’s over done.

Ever notice those big ads on the sides of buses? You know, the ones that cover the windows as well. When you’re in the bus, looking out, you notice the very fine screening effect when you first look out the window. But, have you noticed that when you’ve sat and stared long enough, the brain is able to filter out the screen effect. The brain “removes” what it feels is unnecessary stimulus, like a color filter, removing an undesired color.

I believe big advertising is like that. It’s being filtered. And I believe the next big replacement is online advertising.

true, you may not immediately recognize the gum, BUT, the message makes you feel good. and wether you think you did or not, the pack of gum has now been associated with a very large (by comparison) expression of happiness. but the gum made it work.

so, now that your brain has made that association on a barely perceiveable level, you may not totally understand why the pack of gum makes you, not necessarily BUY it, but associate that reaction with the little black pack.

i think it’s clever, but in all fairness, i could be very wrong.

Terry O’Reilly, the host of the radio show “The Age of Persuasion,” mentioned on one of his broadcasts that Listerine first hit it big when it told the public about something it didn’t know it had: halitosis. I forget which episode it was but you can now subscribe to the show as a podcast.