I Do Not Want Voices In My Head

Advertising that beams itself into my head? This isn't science fiction, folks.

New Yorker Alison Wilson was walking down Prince Street in SoHo last week when she heard a woman's voice right in her ear asking

Who's there? Who's there?

She looked around to find no one in her immediate surroundings. Then the voice said

It's not your imagination.

Advertising Age, a publication devoted apparently to publicising new and exciting ideas to the producers of obnoxious ads, goes on to suggest

So a customer, for example, looking to buy laundry detergent could suddenly hear the sound of gurgling water and thus feel compelled to buy Tide as a result of the sonic experience.

The first store that tries this, if I'm shopping there, gets one warning. Then, they'll either lose my business, immediately. Or maybe I'll return to the store later and spray paint warning signs on the floor, pointing out where the hot spots are, so everybody can steer clear.

Seriously.

When I go shopping, I'm looking at the merchandise, and trying to decide what I can afford. I don't need stores beaming ads into my head. TVs positioned in the supermarkets are bad enough.

HPGuru, at DSL Reports Forum, foresees a still more sinister use for this technology.

Wearers of tinfoil hats may become more socially acceptable, soon.