There are many ways to fool the mind and the eye. An article about logos in a waiting room magazine was the spark for this trail. Take a look at the logo for FedEx. Do you see the arrow? There's a 31 (for that many flavors) in the Baskin-Robbins logo, and a bear in Toblerone. What fun!

I started Brandwashed: Tricks Companies Use to Manipulate Our Minds and Persuade Us to Buy, by Martin Lindstrom knowing that ads are designed to target certain age groups, lifestyles and so forth, but I had no idea just how much! It was mind boggling to learn that advertisers are targeting future consumers in the womb (I'm not kidding) and then at specific age groups after that. For those of us 'of a certain age', nostalgic ads are the most effective. A simple thing as the number of bubbles in an ad or label can make a huge difference in sales. (I wish the author had included was something about those of us who are 'contrary' .... as soon as I hear the words 'everyone is/does/reads' I want nothing to do with it)! The last chapters were scary as Lindstrom explains how easily we are tracked: smart phones, internet searches, loyalty cards, not to mention things like Facebook and so on. Even something as simple as using a friends recharging station for your smart phone can put your information 'out there'. (For more on internet security see the January 27, 2015 post).

Reeling from that overload of information I moved on to Masters of Perception: Escher, Dali & the Artists of Optical Illusion, by Al Seckel and was mind-boggled once again, only in a much better and safer way. Is that a couple in a lusty embrace, or a group of dolphins? A piano player or a string player? I loved the words (usually opposites) found in either white or black space. Be sure to check out Marlene by Octavio Ocampo.

Reading Hermit With Dog