Welcome to the Psychology of Advertising

I began this blog on the Psychology of Advertising a year ago. The objective remains to provide observations about current events and point out helpful sources for thinking about advertising.

The blog is meant for anyone interested in advertising. People everywhere like to study advertising. In the past year, thousands of people in almost 70 countries have read one or more of the 75 postings.

The spring semester begins next Tuesday. I will again be teaching a graduate course called Psychology of Advertising. This course has a long tradition at the University of Minnesota. I will also be teaching 60 wonderful undergraduate students in a course that introduces them to account planning.

In the 1890s , Harlow Gale, a faculty member in the Philosophy Department, taught a seminar he called Psychology of Advertising. Today, Gale is acknowledged as the first person to conduct scientific studies of the effects of advertising.

So this Minnesota tradition continues next week. And, I am looking forward to posting observations here on this blog. Many postings will correspond with discussions that are taking place in class, but the postings will also be offered with the understanding there are many readers around the world.

Welcome to Psychology of Advertising.

Distracted Driving and Advertising

Outdoor advertising is often placed to get the attention of drivers, but in a helpful manner. It is there pointing the way to a motel at the end of a long day on the highway, or it tells us the furniture store we seek is just around the corner, or the fastest way to the fast food.

The best outdoor advertising is designed to be read and understood almost instantly, while your eyes are still looking out the windshield.

Now, distracting our attention from outdoor advertising and our driving responsibilities, comes the latest designed-in distractions inside the car. Earlier posts on Psychology of Advertising have addressed the issues of cell phone use while driving and the designed-in distractions of the latest information and entertainment systems built into many automobiles. Advertising by cell phone providers and automobile manufacturers has routinely promoted these products and features, seemingly without recognition of the risks while driving.

Here's the latest on the evolving public discussion. It's a link to the January 1, 2010 New York Times article Bills to Curb Distracted Driving Gain Momentum.

Copyright © 2010 by John Eighmey. All Rights Reserved.