Edward Bernays and the Power of Persuasion: The 1920s

Among the most provocative figures in marketing history was Edward Bernays, who brought psychoanalytic theory directly to advertisement. Bernays’ was the nephew of one of the most influential thinkers of the time, Sigmund Freud. Freud’s theories emphasized that the unconscious mind and hidden desires shape human behaviour, and Bernays applied these ideas directly to advertising in profound and controversial ways. In his 1928 book Propaganda, Bernays argued that advertisement could serve as a tool for mass psychological influence. Inspired by his uncle, he believed that by appealing to the unconscious mind, people could be made to want things they don’t really need.

Bernays’ most famous campaign, The Torches of Freedom, is a masterclass in psychological manipulation. At the time, women smoking in public was frowned upon due to prevailing gender and cultural norms; however, with the rise of the women’s movement, Bernays saw this as an epic opportunity. The American Tobacco Company was seeking ways to boost its sales and identified women as a lucrative new market. When they hired Bernays, he staged a publicity stunt during New York’s Easter Parade, recruiting women to march in the parade and light up cigarettes in a defiant show of their liberation. The campaign cleverly aligned cigarettes with women’s empowerment and the fight for freedom. Tobacco companies quickly followed suit and began targeting women with ads linking smoking to independence, beauty, and even weight control.[3] The results were staggering; cigarette sales among women soared. By capitalizing on the sentiment of the women’s movement to drive profit, Bernays helped orchestrate one of the most controversial and successful marketing campaigns in history.

The “Mad Men” Era: Motivation and Consumer Desires (1940s – 1960s)

In the post-WWII era, marketers became increasingly interested in the motivations behind consumer behaviour, which led to a surge in research aimed at uncovering the emotional and psychological factors that drive people to make purchases. An example of this research is the study conducted in 1950 by Mason Haire, where participants were shown shopping lists that included either “instant coffee” or “ground coffee.” Those who saw “instant coffee” on the shopping list judged the (hypothetical) shopper as lazy and careless, while those who saw “ground coffee” described the shopper as a responsible homemaker.[4] The issue wasn’t the taste but rather the stigma, showing that buying decisions are often driven by subconscious associations and social judgements, not just product features.

The Digital Age: Data, Personality and Microtargeting (2000s – 2020s)

With the rise of the internet and social media, marketing psychology entered a new era—one driven by data, algorithms, and psychological profiling. Today, your digital footprint (like your Facebook likes) can reveal a lot about you, from your personality traits and age to your political leanings.[5] In 2017, Matz and colleagues demonstrated the power of utilizing people’s digital footprints for psychological microtargeting. They found that ads tailored to a person’s psychological profile—such as targeting introverts differently than extroverts—led to significantly higher engagement and purchase rates.[6]

Further blurring the line between psychology and persuasion is neuromarketing, which is the use of neuroscience to study consumer behaviour. For instance, researchers can examine how consumers’ brains respond to branding, pricing, and advertising stimuli using neuroimaging tools such as fMRI and EEG, as well as physiological measurements (including skin conductance, heart rate, and facial movements).[7] As reported in the Harvard Business Review, studies in this field show that neural activity can predict consumer preferences and even future sales performance.[8] It’s a frontier where psychology, biology, and marketing collide.

From Persuasion to Prediction

The shift from rational product pitches to psychology-driven campaigns marked a seismic shift in advertising. What began as simple product announcements has evolved into sophisticated attempts to tap into our desires and identities. Today, marketing psychology draws from a range of modern theories, including cognitive science, behavioural economics, and even neuroscience. While the ethical implications of such influence remain hotly debated, one thing is clear: understanding the human mind is advertising’s most powerful tool.