Accepting Quote by Mark Crispin Miller
“Like propaganda generally, advertising must thus pervade the atmosphere; for it wants, paradoxically, to startle its beholders without really being noticed by them. Its aim is to jolt us, not "into thinking," as in a Brechtian formulation, but specifically away from thought, into quasiautomatic action: "To us," as an executive at Coca-Cola puts it, "communication is message assimilation--the respondent must be shown to behave in some way that proves they [sic] have come to accept the message, not merely to have received it.”
About This Quote
Source Book: “The Age of Persuasion” by Mark Crispin Miller, 2010
Advertising seeks to bypass conscious thought, prompting automatic behavior rather than reflective consideration.
In simple terms: Ads aim for instinctive action.
Key Takeaway
Be critical of media messages.
Themes
media
advertising
manipulation
psychology
Mood
skeptical
analytical
Type
critical
informative
When to use this quote
- consumer decisions
- political campaigns
- social media usage
Key Concepts
propaganda
cognitive bias
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you recognize subtle persuasion?
- What strategies help maintain critical thinking?
A Different Perspective
Advertising can also inform and inspire.
![“[I]nclusion, not assimilation, should be the key concept in seeking, ever seeking, a more perfect national union. Our own history has shown that we are stronger as a mosaic than a melting pot. Our nation is bound together more by ideals than by blood or land, and inclusion is in our cultural DNA…” quote by Dan Rather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ab3/dan-rather-2779_inclusion_i-nclusion-not-assimilation-should-be-th_105214.jpg)
