This is your brain on advertising (?)

A recent study attempted to map how :15 video ads on various online platforms affect activity in the brain.  One of the insights is that “health food, coffee and hospitality brands advertising on publishers’ sites had a big impact on the detail-oriented left-side of the brain. However, ecommerce and consumer electronics brands resonated with the right side of the brain.”

What does this mean for advertisers, though?  The notion that the right side of the brain is more “creative” while the left side of the brain is more “logical” has been debunked.  Indeed, it isn’t even clear what the terms  “creative” or “logical” mean. As this commentary asks, does higher-level mathematical ability not require high levels of creativity?  We need both sides of our brain working in concert to function in the world.

One marketer read the advertising study in question and called it a bunch of nonsense.  What do you think?

(Thanks to Cecilia Troiano of our global partner in Brazil, Troiano Branding, for bringing this research, and the pushback, to our attention.)