The media today
influences us in many ways. Objects, colors, and every detail of an ad we see
are analyzed and edited to appeal the consumer. Most of the time there are
hidden messages and meanings that affect your mind subliminally. Companies will
do anything to have the advantage and make you want to buy their product. There
are times when what we see actually triggers certain emotions and gives us a
standard, an opinion, perception of what is normal or even change our moral
values.
When someone is in a
relationship and sees a billboard or magazine ad picturing a couple, they often
picture themselves and their significant other. They pay attention to what that
picture is trying to sell and often this picture will influence someone who is
in a relationship to purchase that item. Going a little deeper into it, a
person might also get the perception of what a couple is supposed to look like,
or how a couple should act. They will, in a sense, picture themselves as that
couple.
If someone is single
and they see a picture of a couple on an ad, it might trigger negative
emotions. It might make them feel lonely or It might influence them to go out
and try to find someone. It really varies by person. The message being
delivered has the same goal but can affect the person in various ways. Either
way, by publishing these ads, companies will influence people to spend money or
want to spend money. It is surprising to see how much money companies spend on
advertising and studying the effects of every little detail that goes into a
billboard or magazine ad including everything from gender demographics to age and longevity.
Having two people in
the same ad or picture is beneficial to companies. Humans aren’t
meant to be alone, we are made to interact and form relationships. That being
said, having a male and female upon a billboard is more likely to catch people
of both genders attention. We are always more attentive to things we can
identify with. Though it might surface negative emotions to someone that is
single, humans generally all want the same thing and that is not to be alone.
This plays a major part in what we pay attention to and how we feel about
relationships.
