6 ms·

Study concludes that chewing makes advertising ineffective

76 points by shill 13y ago

sarreph 13y ago
This is hilarious. Well done, U of Cologne.
adamnemecek 13y ago
Expecting a "WPP acquires Wrigley" headline.
transfire 13y ago
If the theaters stop selling popcorn and candy they will not be able to stay in business as almost all their revenue comes from concessions --most of the ticket sale proceeds goes back to the movie makers. Not to mention the fact that concessions are almost the only unique reason to go to a theater anymore.
- alistairSH 13y ago
  You go to the theater for the "unique" concessions? I guess stale nachos and overpriced M&Ms are "unique", but I'd debate if they're a reason to go to the movies. :)
  - _delirium 13y ago
    Movie theatre popcorn is a guilty pleasure that microwave popcorn doesn't quite replicate...
  - smtddr 13y ago
    Not THEE reason, but definitely those overpriced snacks are a huge income for them. Just like nightclubs and their $4 water bottles and $9 drinks. Can't really go to a nightclub without drinking, can't really go to the movies without eating. I know some people do, but that's the very few minority. I remember when a nightclub I sometimes go to, http://1015.com/ http://1015.com/, was closed because their alcohol license expired by accident. I was shocked that they closed the whole place down, but after talking to co-workers they said "Yeah, the drinks are the cash. No overpriced drinks, no point in even doing business..." I don't drink alcohol myself, I actually go to dance! ...by myself even!
    - sarreph 13y ago
      But the price of drinks in nightclubs are so high precisely because they know you want/have to be there for other, social means (unless you're in one of the few places that actually serves brilliant and justifiably-priced beverages). And, I would argue, that, analogously, that is the reason why cinemas have ridiculously priced concessions — because you go to the cinema on a date, or with friends, for a social occasion that causes you (or some people) to be willing to pay higher prices for their drinks and candy. Take, for example, going on a date, many partners may feel pressured under the social norm of not wanting to appear 'stingy' and will shell-out the $15 for a bag of popcorn and a Coke. If you wanted concessions independently of a cinema, then you likely have a fetish for over-priced junk food!
    - cocoflunchy 13y ago
      > Can't really go to a nightclub without drinking, can't really go to the movies without eating. I just want to point out here that this seems to be an American thing. Having experienced movie theaters in the US and in France, I'm still shocked at the number of people who eat in theaters here (in the US). When I pay my ticket $20+, I don't really feel like adding $10 for a Coke and some popcorn. In France, you may have something like 5 to 10% of the audience eating or drinking (the seats don't even have cup holders). I might be seeing this backwards though, and maybe France is the exception here.
kyro 13y ago
I understand the implications here, but pre-chewed popcorn might not be that bad, especially considering how it won't leave kernels stuck in your teeth.
- richforrester 13y ago
  Or as much of a mess on the ground afterwards. Liquid popcorn?
  - kyro 13y ago
    Liquid might be too unsettling. Pre-chewed would preserve that rough pulpy texture -- a familiarity that'll help customer adoption.
  - AmVess 13y ago
    Microwave some butter. There's your liquid popcorn.
    - ngoel36 13y ago
      Actually, movie theater popcorn's 'secret ingredient' is really coconut oil. Saturated fat, yum
- ganeumann 13y ago
  Mechanical popcorn that forces your lips and tongue to simulate the names of the products being advertised, thus annulling the negative effect of chewing. Win-win.
sirsar 13y ago
What a wonderful popcorn advertisement!
carbocation 13y ago
From the article, the study compared 48 people given free popcorn throughout the session to 48 people given one sugar cube at the beginning of the session. Those given the sugar cube demonstrated more positive responses to the advertised products. The variables seem to be: (1) the substance of popcorn vs the substance of sugar cubes; (2) the quantity of stuff administered; (3) the duration over which someone got free stuff; (4) the overall caloric intake; (5) chewing vs non-chewing; (6) the degree to which the absorption times vary between sugar and popcorn. Let me offer an alternative explanation: if you have nothing to do because your sugar cube dissolved and you're bored, you might pay more attention to the ads. If you're getting an unlimited supply of popcorn, that might be more entertaining to focus on than the ads. At any rate, this study probably isn't testing what they think it's testing. It certainly doesn't demonstrate that the act of chewing has any causal relationship with their findings.
- judk 13y ago
  Your alternative explanation is awfully close to "chewing". Chewing is a mild distraction.
  - carbocation 13y ago
    My (main) point is that with so many uncontrolled variables, there are many alternative explanations that might have equal justification. Of less importance (to me) is that my alternative explanation relies not on some physical act (chewing) somehow blocking brand awareness, but rather on the experience-seeking brain being idle or already-engaged when shown ads. Again, with at least 6 uncontrolled variables, we could come up with dozens of things, from blood sugar trajectories to brain activity to chewing to smelling etc., all of which could be the actual trigger blocking brand awareness. I'm not partial to any one explanation given the paucity of data.
  - johnchristopher 13y ago
    I'd add that playing with pop corn in the hand, feeling its texture, the smell and the small noise tend to steal the brain's focus from the ads. Indeed once the sugar is melted there is less to experience with the body.
tokenadult 13y ago
Thanks for submitting this news through a link to a professionally edited newspaper rather than through a press-release-recycling website. This preliminary study needs more replication, of course, just like most preliminary studies, but it has interested implications. I wonder what a study of the effectiveness of televised public service messages about not snacking while watching television would show.
- Vektorweg 13y ago
  Actually, The Guardian is recycling news. The Guardian gets his news probably from the Journal of Consumer Psychology, where it was press-released first. See: http://www.portal.uni-koeln.de/nachricht+M5c21c8e0d26.html http://www.portal.uni-koeln.de/nachricht+M5c21c8e0d26.html
vincie 13y ago
Here come the product names that sound like chewing and eating sounds. First up is gmumphroumroum.
kvee 13y ago
Are regular gum chewers more immune to advertising and the like or do they grow accustomed to it?
pattisapu 13y ago
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eoSXpNZD9o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eoSXpNZD9o
oyvindeh 13y ago
I wonder how this would affect learning in general. I.e. eating snacks while studying.

76 points by shill 13y ago

sarreph 13y ago

This is hilarious. Well done, U of Cologne.

adamnemecek 13y ago

Expecting a "WPP acquires Wrigley" headline.

transfire 13y ago

If the theaters stop selling popcorn and candy they will not be able to stay in business as almost all their revenue comes from concessions --most of the ticket sale proceeds goes back to the movie makers. Not to mention the fact that concessions are almost the only unique reason to go to a theater anymore.

alistairSH 13y ago
You go to the theater for the "unique" concessions? I guess stale nachos and overpriced M&Ms are "unique", but I'd debate if they're a reason to go to the movies. :)
- _delirium 13y ago
  Movie theatre popcorn is a guilty pleasure that microwave popcorn doesn't quite replicate...
- smtddr 13y ago
  Not THEE reason, but definitely those overpriced snacks are a huge income for them. Just like nightclubs and their $4 water bottles and $9 drinks. Can't really go to a nightclub without drinking, can't really go to the movies without eating. I know some people do, but that's the very few minority. I remember when a nightclub I sometimes go to, http://1015.com/ http://1015.com/, was closed because their alcohol license expired by accident. I was shocked that they closed the whole place down, but after talking to co-workers they said "Yeah, the drinks are the cash. No overpriced drinks, no point in even doing business..." I don't drink alcohol myself, I actually go to dance! ...by myself even!
  - sarreph 13y ago
    But the price of drinks in nightclubs are so high precisely because they know you want/have to be there for other, social means (unless you're in one of the few places that actually serves brilliant and justifiably-priced beverages). And, I would argue, that, analogously, that is the reason why cinemas have ridiculously priced concessions — because you go to the cinema on a date, or with friends, for a social occasion that causes you (or some people) to be willing to pay higher prices for their drinks and candy. Take, for example, going on a date, many partners may feel pressured under the social norm of not wanting to appear 'stingy' and will shell-out the $15 for a bag of popcorn and a Coke. If you wanted concessions independently of a cinema, then you likely have a fetish for over-priced junk food!
  - cocoflunchy 13y ago
    > Can't really go to a nightclub without drinking, can't really go to the movies without eating. I just want to point out here that this seems to be an American thing. Having experienced movie theaters in the US and in France, I'm still shocked at the number of people who eat in theaters here (in the US). When I pay my ticket $20+, I don't really feel like adding $10 for a Coke and some popcorn. In France, you may have something like 5 to 10% of the audience eating or drinking (the seats don't even have cup holders). I might be seeing this backwards though, and maybe France is the exception here.

kyro 13y ago

I understand the implications here, but pre-chewed popcorn might not be that bad, especially considering how it won't leave kernels stuck in your teeth.

richforrester 13y ago
Or as much of a mess on the ground afterwards. Liquid popcorn?
- kyro 13y ago
  Liquid might be too unsettling. Pre-chewed would preserve that rough pulpy texture -- a familiarity that'll help customer adoption.
- AmVess 13y ago
  Microwave some butter. There's your liquid popcorn.
  - ngoel36 13y ago
    Actually, movie theater popcorn's 'secret ingredient' is really coconut oil. Saturated fat, yum
ganeumann 13y ago
Mechanical popcorn that forces your lips and tongue to simulate the names of the products being advertised, thus annulling the negative effect of chewing. Win-win.

sirsar 13y ago

What a wonderful popcorn advertisement!

carbocation 13y ago

From the article, the study compared 48 people given free popcorn throughout the session to 48 people given one sugar cube at the beginning of the session. Those given the sugar cube demonstrated more positive responses to the advertised products. The variables seem to be: (1) the substance of popcorn vs the substance of sugar cubes; (2) the quantity of stuff administered; (3) the duration over which someone got free stuff; (4) the overall caloric intake; (5) chewing vs non-chewing; (6) the degree to which the absorption times vary between sugar and popcorn. Let me offer an alternative explanation: if you have nothing to do because your sugar cube dissolved and you're bored, you might pay more attention to the ads. If you're getting an unlimited supply of popcorn, that might be more entertaining to focus on than the ads. At any rate, this study probably isn't testing what they think it's testing. It certainly doesn't demonstrate that the act of chewing has any causal relationship with their findings.

judk 13y ago
Your alternative explanation is awfully close to "chewing". Chewing is a mild distraction.
- carbocation 13y ago
  My (main) point is that with so many uncontrolled variables, there are many alternative explanations that might have equal justification. Of less importance (to me) is that my alternative explanation relies not on some physical act (chewing) somehow blocking brand awareness, but rather on the experience-seeking brain being idle or already-engaged when shown ads. Again, with at least 6 uncontrolled variables, we could come up with dozens of things, from blood sugar trajectories to brain activity to chewing to smelling etc., all of which could be the actual trigger blocking brand awareness. I'm not partial to any one explanation given the paucity of data.
- johnchristopher 13y ago
  I'd add that playing with pop corn in the hand, feeling its texture, the smell and the small noise tend to steal the brain's focus from the ads. Indeed once the sugar is melted there is less to experience with the body.

tokenadult 13y ago

Thanks for submitting this news through a link to a professionally edited newspaper rather than through a press-release-recycling website. This preliminary study needs more replication, of course, just like most preliminary studies, but it has interested implications. I wonder what a study of the effectiveness of televised public service messages about not snacking while watching television would show.

Vektorweg 13y ago
Actually, The Guardian is recycling news. The Guardian gets his news probably from the Journal of Consumer Psychology, where it was press-released first. See: http://www.portal.uni-koeln.de/nachricht+M5c21c8e0d26.html http://www.portal.uni-koeln.de/nachricht+M5c21c8e0d26.html

vincie 13y ago

Here come the product names that sound like chewing and eating sounds. First up is gmumphroumroum.

kvee 13y ago

Are regular gum chewers more immune to advertising and the like or do they grow accustomed to it?

pattisapu 13y ago

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eoSXpNZD9o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eoSXpNZD9o

oyvindeh 13y ago

I wonder how this would affect learning in general. I.e. eating snacks while studying.