lateral thinking dead or alive

Q: is people’s ability to process laterally increasing or decreasing over time?

If one merely observes how air travelers attempt to forcibly maneuver bovine sized luggage into tiny overhead compartments, then the answer might seem quite obvious. Criticisms of spatial thinking aside! However, I’m eager to hear everyone’s collective thoughts to this question as it applies to the copy testing environment. Time and time again I am startled at how flat footed, linear and obvious many of the ideas need to be in order to score well on comprehension, enjoyment, believability and purchase intent. This becomes especially clear when people have to put pieces of information together - sentences or paragraphs if you will - to form a narrative story about the brand. Surprising? Not if you think that in a world of entertainment - a world increasingly obsessed with the entertaining - each of us are quite obviously directed - what and when, to think and feel. Laugh tracks in TV tell us when to snicker, cinematic music tell us when to become apprehensive or tearful and celebrities separate the mere product from the majestic. In a world of entertainment, advertising must increasingly learn the techniques and rules of entertainment as it forms the dominant form of conversation, creation and consumption.

Comments

[Bruce DeBoer]

I believe what you're noticing is that our resting state is linear - moreover, we want to think as little as possible.

The least restful state is random thought; creativity if you will. It's easily ignored.

[brent nelsen]

hi bruce - thanks for the post it's very interesting and compelling.

if the least restful state is random thoughts aka creativity, what do you believe is required to to generate a pulse in that linear resting line? when i read your thought i immediately saw a electrocardiogram...and not a good one ;) best regards, B.

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