Selling reality: baudrillard, hyperreality, and the psychology of advertising

Gjorgji Ristov

Abstract

This paper explores the intersection of communication, psychology, and consumer behavior through the theoretical framework of Jean Baudrillard’s concept of hyper­reality. It examines how early advertising campaigns did not merely promote prod­ucts but manufactured social norms and psychological dependencies. Two emblematic cases illustrate this process. The first is the Listerine campaign of the 1920s, led by the Lambert Pharmaceutical Company, which introduced the term “halitosis” to medicalize bad breath and instill a fear-based consumer need for mouthwash. The second is the “bacon and eggs” breakfast campaign, orchestrated by Edward Bernays on behalf of the Beech-Nut Packing Company, which employed pseudo-scientific endorsements from physicians to reframe a heavy breakfast as a health necessity for the American public. Both cases exemplify how advertising creates hyperreal environments where cultural symbols replace material realities, shaping not only habits but collective perceptions of normalcy and desire. By contextualizing these historical examples within Baudrillard’s theory, this paper investigates the mechanisms of psychological persuasion and the sim­ulation of needs. The findings will be helpful for further connecting it to contemporary econometric modeling of consumer behavior and the evolving legal and ethical regula­tions surrounding manipulative or subliminal advertising practices. Ultimately, this study contributes to understanding how media-driven hyperrealities continue to influence the economies of today, societal norms, and the boundaries of lawful persuasion.

Keywords: Hyperreality; Consumer behavior; Social construction; Media influence;