Why Are 'Brainwashing' Ads Annoying Yet Extremely Effective? The Case of 'This Holiday, No Gifts But Brain Platinum'

Haha, you've hit the nail on the head with this question. The "Brain Platinum" (Nao Bai Jin) ad is practically a shared memory for our generation—annoying yet addictive, right?

The success of this type of ad actually exploits certain "bugs" in our brains and psychology. It doesn’t aim to make you love the ad; instead, it uses an almost "violent" approach to etch the brand message into your mind.

Let me break down why it’s so irritating yet so effective.

1. Core Weapon: Simple, Repetitive, and Then More Repetition!

Think about it: What’s the slogan? "This holiday season, no gifts accepted—except Brain Platinum." Just this one line, played over and over.

The Lazy Brain: Our brains are inherently lazy and dislike processing complex information. This simple, rhyming, rhythmic slogan is like an earworm—you might not like it, but the melody loops endlessly in your head. The cost of remembering it is incredibly low.
Mere-Exposure Effect: This is a classic psychological theory. Simply put, the more you see something, the more familiar it becomes, and the more familiar it is, the more you favor it. Even if you hated it at first, when you see dozens of health supplements on a supermarket shelf, your brain subconsciously tells you: "Oh, I know this 'Brain Platinum'—I see it on TV every day. Must be a big, reliable brand." See? Familiarity, not likability, is key.

2. Giving a Clear "Purchase Command"

This tactic is brilliant. The ad doesn’t drone on about ingredients or benefits. Instead, it creates a consumption scenario and hands you the solution.

The Problem: What gift to give elders during holidays? A common social headache.
The Answer: The ad directly tells you—"only accept Brain Platinum."

It tightly binds the act of "gift-giving during holidays" to the product "Brain Platinum." When you actually face this dilemma, the endlessly repeated answer automatically pops into your head. It becomes a "go-to solution," a "default option."

3. Sacrificing "Affection" for "Awareness"

Traditional ads aim to make audiences like the brand. But "brainwashing ads" take a different path.

In fiercely competitive markets with homogeneous products, making consumers "remember you" is more crucial—and more direct—than making them "like you."

Affection (Brand Favorability): Takes time and money to cultivate—lavish ads, emotional storytelling—with uncertain results.
Recall (Brand Awareness): "Brainwashing" achieves maximum memorability with minimal creative cost in the shortest time.

Brain Platinum, Hengyuanxiang ("Sheep Sheep Sheep"), and BOSS Zhipin are all loyal players of this strategy. They’d rather be mocked or hated than forgotten. Because in business, being forgotten is the real nightmare.

4. Sparking Discussion, Enabling Secondary Spread

Notice how we’re discussing this ad right now?

A bland ad is forgotten instantly. But one that’s extremely annoying or cringe-worthy becomes fodder for public吐槽 and memes.

The slogan "This holiday season, no gifts accepted—except XXX" has been endlessly parodied online. Every吐槽, every meme, is free secondary promotion for "Brain Platinum," further cementing its place in public consciousness.

To Summarize

The secret sauce of these "brainwashing ads" boils down to:

It doesn’t appeal to your emotions—it manipulates your memory.

It uses brutally simple repetition to create familiarity, then gives a clear purchase command to solve a specific problem. Ultimately, it successfully trades your "liking" for the most valuable prize at checkout: top-of-mind priority.

From a communication perspective, this is textbook-perfect marketing. Though as viewers, we still can’t help but think—it’s so annoying!