TV Networks Open Neuroscience Labs To Improve Their Shows and Ads (reuters.com)

An anonymous reader writes: NBCUniversal's recently-opened Orlando neuroscience lab is trying to develop methods of delivering advertisements related to the scene in the show preceding them, such as delivering a food advertisement directly after a scene which has been shown to make test-subjects hungry. Viacom is building a lab right now to take electroencephalagrams of viewers while they watch. "And ratings firm Nielsen Holdings, which just bought neuroscience firm Innerscope Research earlier this year, is adding facial coding and biometrics to its labs, which currently conduct eye tracking and perform EEGs." NBC doesn't trust what viewers say when asked for their opinion on shows. They want to use science to determine which scenes trigger an emotional response, whether the viewer acknowledges it or not.

Comments

so whats easier

[nimbius]

telling a meaningful story with an engaging plot, complex dialogue and interesting characters? or pinching out another Avengers/Batman/Bond/Furious? studios have decided the easiest way to make money is to paint with a shotgun, so its no surprise we get cognitive neuroscience involved.

The rules are already pretty simple: keep the dialogue at the 8th grade level and the characters simple. House is a meanie bo beanie, sheldon is a goofy nerd, and the team on NCIS follows such predictability they could be used as a canary to ensure a tv stations satellites were tracking properly. Combine your average sitcom with a healthy dose of product placement and well timed advertisements between painfully obvious and intentional cliffhangers and youve got yourself a riveting cinematic blockbuster thats sure to entertain some 300 pound navel-gazing white trash single mom for at least the 30 minutes it takes to chug a soda and finish a cold pizza.

the devils in the details. You cant expect to gain 10-15% profit quarterly and assume a product anything less than C grade is going to come out of the effort. it means rehash concepts, repeat plotlines, and a whole lot of commercial time. It means squeezing out stinkers like minions and then skull-fucking parents into everything from online games to fast food and clothing tie-ins because you dont have time for ideas. Exploiting basic human urges is simply a more cost effective means to ensure people who already watch this shit, continue to watch it.

Uh-oh!

[Ol Olsoc]

I don't think they are going to like what they find.

I can't be the only one repulsed by the present day ads.

Especially during daytime - it's creeping to evenings now.

Because women are leaky things that spew matter from every orifice, men are the opposite, they have to put thingys up their weiners so they can pee. Drugs that might make you go on a killing rampage.

Vaginal mesh, mesothelioma, Call us so we can see who you can sue! Some wacky lady who is obsessed with pooping, and probiotics. J.G. Wentworth "It's my money and I need cash now!"

Dancing millenials. Did I mention dancing millenials? Do we have to have dancing millenials break into a dance because their Totino's pizza rolls came out of the microwave? Or found a piece of furniture online?

When they tortured the guy in A Clockwork Orange" they could have just used today's commercials.

Re:Subliminal

[Anonymous Coward]

Next time you fast forward through commercials on your DVR pay attention to what parts/logos are still visible.

Also having written analysis code for this type of thing (article) that's probably still in use, my bad ya'll. ..eat snacky smores

Re:They shouldn't trust people's expressed opinion

[kilfarsnar]

>> NBC doesn't trust what viewers say when asked for their opinion on shows.

They shouldn't trust people's expressed opinions. How many people have you heard say naive things like "I'm not influenced by advertising" or "I do my own research"? And yet, advertising works, particularly because advertisers know where prospects go to "research" and get their pitches in there.

This article should disabuse anyone of the notion that they are not influenced by advertising. They are studying brain physiology in order to sell you stuff! They are operating on a subconscious level that many people aren't even aware exists! We have little defense if our conscious mind doesn't even enter into the equation. And if you think these techniques are just used to make you want hamburgers, think again.

Advertising and other forms of subconscious manipulation are used to sell you wars, government policies and political candidates. People think their opinions are their own, but often they have just been selected from a menu presented to them by the media.

Yeah, advertising works. Millions if not billions of dollars have been spent to understand how you think, what motivates you, and how to influence that without your knowledge. Anyone who thinks they are not affected is foolish and ignorant.