Reverse psychology: The sleekest advertising strategy

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Advertising. There are many kinds.

Ones that directly speak to you, superbly creative ones, and others purely packed with information. Then there are others, that are so persuasive that you grind to a halt. They may not always be creative, but it captivates you differently. By suggesting an action contrary to the action that the brand wants you to take, you are immediately drawn to it. This approach is called reverse psychology and is perhaps the sleekest advertising technique ever.

Why does reverse psychology work? The answer is quite simple. It’s how our minds are wired. When we feel our sense of freedom is challenged or threatened, we tend to rebel. Over the years, brands all around the globe have used this strategy to up their sales. Some have worked, spiking sales and even attracting new customers. While some others fell flat. The campaigns that took off have a few factors in common:

• Understanding consumer psychology: This refers to identifying what motivates consumers to act a certain way. In other words, to make the consumers feel that if they are not using this particular product, they are missing out on something essential.
• Stirring curiosity and creating desirability: This is all about making consumers take note of the product and then luring them to study the product in detail. Once they know the product inside-out, they are more likely to buy it.

?Here is an iconic example of reverse psychology from 1960 for Volkswagen:

The copy is undeniably genuine. It’s the kind of tone brands usually don’t adopt, let alone think of it. But with its authentic tone, laced with humour, the campaign spiked sales in the US, which was a new market for VW at that time.?

Volkswagen’s Beetle, with its compact size and unattractive look, might not have taken off, if not for this campaign that points out its flaws plainly, with a touch of wit. It is a notable detail that selling is done only in the last part.

The ad can look like an honest approach to the product story for a potential consumer. No tall claims, no flowery language, no alluring pictures. Just facts, packaged plainly but effectively to strike a conversation with its prospective buyers.

For those who were planning to buy a car during that time, this ad was a must-read. It was almost like a test drive from the comfort of your home. And people took that test drive and decided to drive home the Beetle.

Another example of reverse psychology in advertising is Patagonia’s “Don’t buy this jacket”.

A little more explicit than VW’s “Lemon” campaign, this 2011 campaign by the clothing brand, Patagonia, appeared in The New York Times on Black Friday. Widely popular as an eco-friendly brand for its use of recycled materials, the campaign remained true to the brand voice by saying ‘Don’t buy this jacket’. Stating sustainability and durability, the?

ad also strategically makes use of reverse psychology.?

The ad looked direct and sounded preachy. Seemingly couraging the consumers to shy away from buying the product. But the intention was quite the opposite. In an easy-to-understand language, this ad detailed why Patagonia is a brand like no other. They even timed the ad quite beautifully. This was released on Black Friday, which kicks off the retail holiday season. Patagonia was probably the only retail company to ask the consumers to buy less of its product.

‘Don’t buy this jacket’ increased sales by 30% in just nine months. Phenomenal!?

While everyone is trying to sing praises of their brands, reverse psychology takes the road less traveled to capture the imagination of its potential customers. More often than not, this strategy creates flutters in the marketplace.