NationStates Jolt Archive

Advertising funds practically every form of media in existence, including this forum, so I don't see it going anywhere soon. But yesterday, I heard a story on NPR (one of the few sources without advertising) about an ad agency which hoped to use smells to attract people in the form of scented mail. A scientist working at the company said that smells bring back memories, so if someone smells, say, baking bread when they see an ad for Vista, they are more likely to associate Vista with something good.
This is slightly troublesome to me, and so I have two questions: one, do you think advertisers should be able to be this manipulative in selling their products? My second question is, if ads really do have an effect on how people buy things, how does this affect the market? In other words, what happens when a business controls not only supply, but has a large hand in controlling demand?

one, do you think advertisers should be able to be this manipulative in selling their products? they already are. now do you think perfume companies sell their product? they have pages in the magazine soaked with their scent. pick up any magazine targetting women or fashion and you'll find em in there. they started doing the same for men's cologne.
My second question is, if ads really do have an effect on how people buy things, how does this affect the market? In other words, what happens when a business controls not only supply, but has a large hand in controlling demand? no real big change. just... smellier mags will be on the newstand.

and before you think scented adverts are all powerful. I would retell one tale a military friend of mine told us about smells.

"[I] was stationed [somewhere in Europe] and on either side of the base there was a Bakery and a stockyard. when the wind blew one way, the base would be covered in the smells of the bakery and people would be craving fresh baked breads and cookies. when the wind blew the other direction... the smell would be sickening. really disgusting.

and on some rare occations... when the wind was just right...

people would get cravings for the most gawd awlful things... :p"

Sorry, I didn't mean to make two threads. Until a helpful Mod comes along, everyone should use this one (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=543436).