The

mnemonic A mnemonic device ( ), memory trick or memory device is any learning technique that aids information retention or retrieval in the human memory, often by associating the information with something that is easier to remember. It makes use of e ...

effect or mnemotechnic effect occurs when the viewer of an advertisement is persuaded in making a buying decision that is contradictory to the intention of the advertiser. This can be observed especially in image

advertising Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a Product (business), product or Service (economics), service. Advertising aims to present a product or service in terms of utility, advantages, and qualities of int ...

, in which case the viewer starts associating what their sees with the memories,

recollection Recall in memory refers to the mental process of retrieving information from the past. Along with encoding and storage, it is one of the three core processes of memory. There are three main types of recall: free recall, cued recall and serial r ...

s, and experience that have already been imprinted in their

brain The brain is an organ (biology), organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It consists of nervous tissue and is typically located in the head (cephalization), usually near organs for ...

. In the end the only thing the

advertisement Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a Product (business), product or Service (economics), service. Advertising aims to present a product or service in terms of utility, advantages, and qualities of int ...

might have reminded them of, is that they are hungry (in case of food advertisement), and not that she/he should buy the specific food being advertised. Not much attention has been given to the study of the mnemonic effect in advertising, but that is slowly changing with companies questioning more and more the effectiveness of the costly types of advertising they are using. The only thing that is currently agreed upon is that the brain does actually group different information, and many associations are instantly created when viewing or remembering images, numbers or sounds.McElhinney M, Annett JM. "Pattern of efficacy of a musical mnemonic on recall of familiar words over several presentations.", University of Ulster at Jordanstown, Northern Ireland

References

{{reflist Advertising Mnemonics

See also

References