Final answer:
Brand associations are mental links between a brand and certain attributes, shaped by advertising that leverages associative learning to influence consumer perceptions, as evidenced by car commercials featuring attractive models to enhance the car's appeal.
Step-by-step explanation:
Brand associations are the qualities, attributes, and characteristics that come to mind when consumers think about a particular brand. These associations can be built through advertising strategies that employ associative learning, an approach which links a brand with certain desirable traits, symbols, or experiences to influence consumer perception. An example of this can be seen in car commercials, where an attractive model is often featured to create an association between the car and attractiveness or desirability.
Through associative learning, advertising executives aim to position their products in consumers' minds in a way that elicits positive feelings and judgements. As supported by Cialdini (2008), this strategy can indeed be effective. Men who watched car adverts with an attractive model perceived the car as faster, more appealing, and better designed than those who saw the same car advertised without the model. This showcases the power of advertising in creating strong, positive brand associations that influence consumer opinions and behaviors.