As a marketing major in college, the answer is essentially yes. While people aren't actually "mind controlled" or anything by mass advertising, it is excellent for building awareness and public image.
If you suddenly had a hankering to order in pizza, for example, your mind would most likely think of Dominos or Little Caesar because you've seen their name on the TV so much. If you were choosing a car and prioritizing safety, chances are that you'll think of Volvo because of its ads regarding safety. And of course, the single best example: think of a soda and you'll tie it immediately to Coca-Cola or Pepsi.
Advertising doesn't actually control us blindly, but it feeds into deepseated needs and takes advantage of it. Look at every Zales' commercial that promises a happy ending - it feeds into our need for a stable relationship if only we purchase that ring.
Or look at how Gordon's Jewelers aims for a different angle, with the women bragging about how their men purchased them jewelry from Gordon's. It aims at a triple kill - first, it tells men that our girls will be proud of us if we buy them Gordon's Jewelry; next, it tells women that they will have more social credit with their girlfriends if they can show that their men prize them enough to buy them Gordon's; finally, it positions Gordon's Jewelry as premium and quality(because why else would women be bragging about it, and their men spending so much money on it?).
In an interesting case of reality mimicking art mimicking reality, this cheerleader student of mine was talking to me once and one of her fantasies involved being able to tell her sister and other girls of her boyfriend: "He got it at Gordon's!" Now if only her boy would actually buy it for her...
Regards,
IO
