Final answer:
Yes, advertisements are designed to impact consumer behavior and often succeed due to repeated exposure and strategic placement. While embellishment is allowed, factual claims in ads must be truthful by FTC regulations.
Step-by-step explanation:
Advertisements are designed to influence our purchasing decisions and shape our perceptions daily. Whether we are affected by them can vary based on numerous factors, such as personal interest, critical thinking, and the frequency with which we are exposed to a particular ad. With the advent of the attention economy, advertisers are becoming more sophisticated, using synergistic advertising to bombard us with consistent messaging across multiple platforms.
The evidence suggests that we are indeed affected by advertisements. Naomi Klein's seminal work, No Logo, highlighted the profound influence of corporate branding and advertisements on society. In our media-saturated environment, we encounter a barrage of advertising that can sway even the most discerning consumers. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations permit a degree of embellishment in advertising but insist on the truthfulness of factual claims. This regulatory environment means advertising can impress upon us an exaggerated sense of the benefits products might bring, impacting our decision-making process.