Jul 06, 2021 11:50:00

Scientists warn about 'a campaign to show product ads in dreams'

In February 2021, Coors , an American brewing company, launched a new advertising campaign to 'make sleeping people dream of Coors beer' to coincide with the 55th Super Bowl LV , which decides the NFL champion. .. Researchers in North America and Europe have warned in open letters about how to use such dreams in advertising.

Advertising in Dreams is Coming: Now What? · Dream Engineering
https://dxe.pubpub.org/pub/dreamadvertising/

Nightmare scenario: alarm as advertisers seek to plug into our dreams | Advertising | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/jul/05/advertisers-targeted-dream-incubation?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

The Super Bowl is America's largest sporting event, and you can expect great advertising effects from commercials that are sandwiched in the middle of the game. However, because the commercials in the Super Bowl are very competitive, Coors could not broadcast the commercials in the Super Bowl.

So, on January 27th, Coors announced a novel advertising campaign to 'make Coors Beer's Dream come on the eve of the Super Bowl.' You can see what Coors actually planned to 'make an advertisement in a dream' by watching the following movie.

Coors Big Game Commercial of Your Dreams: Dream Study --YouTube


Dr. Deirdre Barrett , a researcher on dreams at Harvard University, cooperated with Coors in this advertising campaign.

Coors asked Dr. Barrett, 'Can I show ads in my dreams?' And Dr. Barrett replied that it was possible to influence his dreams.

So, in order to appeal to the subconscious of people, Coors asked visual artist David Lawson to create a 'video to make Coors beer dream'.

The created video is reminiscent of the beautiful mountain air and the refreshing river.

Experiments were also conducted to confirm the effect of the image.

People wear a device to measure brain waves before going to bed ...

Watch the video created by Mr. Lawson.

The research team observed the brain waves of the participants who fell asleep ...

After confirming that he had entered REM sleep, he woke up the participants and asked what they were dreaming about.

'I was dreaming of a waterfall'

'I was walking in the snow'

Some participants said, 'I was looking at something related to Coors.'

In the advertising campaign launched in conjunction with the Super Bowl, 'Watch the limited release video before going to bed and then fall asleep while playing the environmental sound for 8 hours', a refreshing and relaxing dream where Coors appears. It was supposed to be seen. Participants were able to purchase a 12-pack set of Coors Beer at half price, and if they sent a video link to a friend and that friend also participated in the campaign, 12 packs could be obtained for free.

It's unclear how many people actually participated in the campaign, but scientists studying sleep and dreams have pointed out that the new advertising campaign may have opened a dangerous door. In June 2021, 35 sleep and dream researchers in North America and Europe issued an open letter alerting them to 'how to use dreams for advertising.'

The open letter states that 'how to have a particular dream' has existed for thousands of years and in some cases remains indigenous customs. Dreams are said to be involved in

the processing of memory, and there is a theory that 'to prevent overfitting of the brain', and intervention in dreams may have a strong effect on the brain. And that. 'Every imaginable advertising campaign will definitely be enhanced by using sleep as a weapon,' said Bob Stickfield, a professor of sleep at Harvard University, who recreates Coors' efforts by other companies. It states that there is a possibility.

Coors' efforts would not work without active participation of people. However, the open letter raises concerns that the smart speakers that many Americans have in their bedrooms may be used by advertising companies. 'As many as 30 million people have Alexa-type devices in their bedrooms that listen to their ears,' said Professor Stickfield, who bought the right to run ads while users were sleeping and slept. He pointed out that a system that plays advertising voices may be born during the period. 'Advertisers to buy ad time in these devices, that when you are listening to an advertisement do not even know user himself,' 1984 the situation, such as 'might occur', stick Professor Field insisted.

To prevent ads from running in dreams, researchers argue that regulations need to be put in place to 'do not manipulate dreams to influence consumer behavior.' The Federal Trade Commission has already banned subliminal advertising in movies and TV shows, and it is possible to apply this regulation to interventions in dreams using smart speakers and the like. The open letter said, 'Proactive action and new protection policies are now needed to prevent advertisers from manipulating our conscious and unconscious last shelter, the'dream'. I'm thinking. '