Horizon - Man and Science today

A look at the world of advertising

"Seventy-five per cent of all advertising is a total waste of time" (Chairman of a Large Advertising Agency)
"I'm not frightened of the word manipulation, one of the things a good advert must do is manipulate people" (Advertising Executive)

How successfully can Advertising use scientific methods to pinpoint our needs and appetites and so manipulate us?
Tonight's programme looks at the psychology behind advertising, at its techniques, its gadgetry, its successes, and its failures. It looks at the ad-man's use of hidden cameras, at E.E.G. machines which monitor physiological response to TV commercials, and at housewives who pretend to be car-safety belts and furniture cleaners in the interests of more effective advertising.
Written by Paul Ferris
(Colour)