What if advertisers could play tricks with your memory and convince you that you had a much better experience with their product than you really did? They can and it is called memory morphing.
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Zaltman's extraordinary claims are based on experiments carried out by memory researchers in the US, most notably the work carried out by Elizabeth Loftus, a former professor of psychology at the University of Washington. She singled out a campaign by Disney - "Remember the magic" - which, she claimed, was used to invoke real or imaginary childhood memories in consumers.
She reported an experiment in which people were shown an advert suggesting that children who visited Disneyland had the opportunity to shake hands with Bugs Bunny. Later, many of those who had seen the advert "remembered" meeting Bugs on childhood visits to the theme park, a feat that would have been impossible, given that the cartoon is a Warner Brothers character. Loftus said: "This brings forth ethical considerations. Is it OK for marketers to knowingly manipulate consumers' pasts?"
Earlier this year, other American psychologists announced research findings to the American Association for the Advancement of Science, showing the ease with which false memories can be implanted in people's minds. In a test by the cognitive psychologist Kathryn Braun-LaTour, a colleague of Zaltman's, participants were served an unpleasant-tasting orange drink spiked with salt and vinegar. They were then shown adverts suggesting the drink was refreshing. Sure enough, many of the participants later reported that they had found the drink refreshing.
While most experts deny that brands actively use memory morphing in their advertising, some believe it may be an inadvertent consequence. Erik du Plessis, chief executive of the South African arm of the world's leading advertising research firm, Millward Brown, has just written his own book on the psychological effects of advertising called The Advertised Mind.
He says: "There is evidence that memory morphing might happen, though I don't think anyone has actively tried to use it. Certainly some advertisements I have seen have a very good chance of doing it. There is advertising I can see that reminds me of good times I have had. I will probably remember the brand as having been there, although it might not have been." But he believes morphing can only take place in a "credible" way. If consumers have had a bad experience, it will be impossible to turn that into a positive memory.
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