Colorado’s Beloved Coors Beer Could Be In Trouble for Commercial
Does this seem unethical to you?
Have you ever noticed how many beer commercials there are on television? Perhaps it's because of the shows I watch and I do watch a lot of sports, but they seem to be everywhere. Some are easily remembered while others seem to pass through my mind without a second thought.
But what if you can get those images, that logo, the product itself to stick in someone's mind?
That's the entire premise of marketing, right? You put something in front of someone enough times in the hopes that they remember it. The viewer may not need car insurance or food or beer at the moment, but when they do they'll hopefully think of your brand.
This is also why you see the same commercials run over and over again.
Now, here's the real question. Can you get your product to stick in someone's head without really showing them the product in the first place? Can you get someone to dream about your product?
That's what Coors attempted to do during the Super Bowl this year.
Due to a competitor beating them to the punch, they were unable to purchase ad time for the big game. So they created a video instead that hopefully would get viewers dreaming about an ice cold, refreshing Coors during the big game.
They ran this video and invited people to "Join the World's Largest Dream Study."
Sounds bonkers, doesn't it?
Well, while you and I may brush this off as insanity, there are those who believe it's unethical.
About 40 sleep experts have signed a letter stating their concern over manipulating people's drams. In a way, you are infiltrating their minds. Their argument is that it is a very unethical practice.
It sounds just like the movie Inception, doesn't it?
If you thought that movie seemed far-fetched, you might want to reconsider.
These experts call this form of manipulation, targeted dream incubation (TDI). The idea is to implant a message or image into someone's minds just as they are falling asleep. When your brain is in this state, you are more likely to dream about what you last saw.
For example, have you ever fallen asleep while watching a movie or show and dreamt about it? This is the same idea. In fact, it's used to help people quit smoking or fight depression.
Advertisers hijacking something like that just seems wrong.
Now, it's my understanding that you have to be a willing subject in order for this to work, but it still feels odd. What if advertisers begin hacking our phones with artificial intelligence, track our sleep patterns, and begin playing car insurance jingles just before we fall into a REM cycle?
Ok, that may be a little extreme, but tell us what you think!