Seducing the Subconscious

Our relationship with ads: it's complicated

A must-read for anyone intrigued by the role and influence of the ad world, Seducing the Subconscious explores the complexities of our relationship to advertising. Robert Heath uses approaches from experimental psychology and cognitive neuroscience to outline his theory of the subconscious influence of advertising in its audience’s lives. In addition to looking at ads’ influence on consumers, Heath also addresses how advertising is evolving, noting especially the ethical implications of its development. Supported by current research, Seducing the Subconscious shows us just how strange and complicated our relationship is with the ads we see every day.

“"Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division and graduate students of advertising and psychology, faculty, and practitioners." ( Choice , 1 October 2012) "Heath's book is far more persuasive than any advertisement, no matter how top-loaded the latter may be with accurate information. His thesis depends on a lengthy journey through cognitive science and evolutionary psychology, and a firm grasp on how - so far as we know - the human mind actually does work (rather than how we would like it to work). Heath demonstrates quite clearly - at least to my satisfaction - that it is precisely when we pay no conscious attention to advertising that advertisers get to work on our subconscious with complete effectiveness." WILL SELF, Prospect , June 2012 "(Heath) avoids academic obscurantism and fills the book with clever dissections of well-known ads... The case studies add up to an intriguing, down-to-earth introduction to the mysteries of the subconscious..." Financial Times, March 2012 "Dr Robert Heath, who teaches at the University of Bath, has popularised the theory of 'low attention processing', which argues that ads make a stronger emotional and behavioural impact when we are paying less conscious attention to them. In his new book, Seducing the Subconscious , he further develops this thinking, providing a detailed and scholarly explanation of the psychological processes involved, and illustrating these with advertising examples, many based on his own long experience in ad agencies." Paul Feldwick, Credos, March 2012”

“Summing Up: Recommended.  Upper-division and graduate students of advertising and psychology, faculty, and practitioners.”  (Choice, 1 October 2012)

“Heath’s book is far more persuasive than any advertisement, no matter how top-loaded the latter may be with accurate information. His thesis depends on a lengthy journey through cognitive science and evolutionary psychology, and a firm grasp on how – so far as we know – the human mind actually does work (rather than how we would like it to work). Heath demonstrates quite clearly – at least to my satisfaction – that it is precisely when we pay no conscious attention to advertising that advertisers get to work on our subconscious with complete effectiveness.”   WILL SELF, Prospect, June 2012

"(Heath) avoids academic obscurantism and fills the book with clever dissections of well-known ads... The case studies add up to an intriguing, down-to-earth introduction to the mysteries of the subconscious..."
Financial Times, March 2012

"Dr Robert Heath, who teaches at the University of Bath, has popularised the theory of ‘low attention processing’, which argues that ads make a stronger emotional and behavioural impact when we are paying less conscious attention to them. In his new book, Seducing the Subconscious, he further develops this thinking, providing a detailed and scholarly explanation of the psychological processes involved, and illustrating these with advertising examples, many based on his own long experience in ad agencies."
Paul Feldwick, Credos, March 2012

Dr. Robert Heath has a worldwide reputation as an expert in the role of emotion and attention in the field of brand communication. In 2001 he developed the Low Attention Processing Model of advertising, after which he published the best-selling monograph The Hidden Power of Advertising. His published research has garnered him major prizes, including the dual award of the MRS David Winton and ISBA Prizes. Dr. Heath is a Senior Lecturer in Advertising at University of Bath School of Management and a Board Member of the Wharton Global Future of Advertising Project.

We have a love-hate relationship with advertising. Adverts serve a purpose--they keep us in touch with new products and ideas, and at their best, ingenious campaigns provide entertainment. But we also worry that advertising can get 'under our radar' in some way and might affect us without our knowledge. For this reason, we ignore it: we think if we don't pay attention to it, we won't remember it, and it won't influence us. But, paradoxically, ignoring advertising can actually lend it greater power. Dr. Robert Heath, a pioneering researcher in the field of brand communications, reveals that how we process advertising--both at a subconscious and semiconscious level--can actually increase the influence it has on our emotions, the underlying drivers of our decisions and relationships. Utilizing extensive psychological and neuroscientific research, Seducing the Subconscious reveals how this brave new advertising world works, using illustrative examples of advertising campaigns that have been hugely successful without anyone quite being able to recall what they were trying to communicate. Knowledge, or perhaps awareness, Dr. Heath shows, truly is power. Whether advertising executives are trying to harness it, or average consumers are looking to defend themselves, one thing is certain: we cannot afford to ignore it.

We have a love-hate relationship with advertising. Adverts serve a purpose they keep us in touch with new products and ideas, and at their best, ingenious campaigns provide entertainment. But we also worry that advertising can get under our radar in some way and might affect us without our knowledge. For this reason, we ignore it: we think if we dont pay attention to it, we wont remember it, and it wont influence us. But, paradoxically, ignoring advertising can actually lend it greater power. Dr. Robert Heath, a pioneering researcher in the field of brand communications, reveals that how we process advertising both at a subconscious and semiconscious level can actually increase the influence it has on our emotions, the underlying drivers of our decisions and relationships. Utilizing extensive psychological and neuroscientific research, Seducing the Subconscious reveals how this brave new advertising world works, using illustrative examples of advertising campaigns that have been hugely successful without anyone quite being able to recall what they were trying to communicate. Knowledge, or perhaps awareness, Dr. Heath shows, truly is power. Whether advertising executives are trying to harness it, or average consumers are looking to defend themselves, one thing is certain: we cannot afford to ignore it.

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