The ups and downs of using optical illusions for advertising.

Optical illusions are images that maneuver your brain into seeing things that either do not exist or compels you to see them from various different perspectives. While trying to decipher an illusion, the eye and the brain are not on the same page, and the outcome is a visual mismatch, better known as an optical illusion. With modern technology, optical illusions are now more accessible and often used by graphic artists for their creations. Due to this, more and more brands are incorporating this aspect into their designs and products from packaging to formulation of the product itself. Clever incorporation of optical illusions in advertising strategies can give it and edge and add even more depth to it. 

Companies have often used optical illusions to create products that can easily go viral on the internet, which in turn helps majorly with brand awareness, like in 2015 when a picture of a dress from Roman Originals now infamously dubbed as “The dress” broke the internet, confused millions and ultimately divided the internet over a heated debate of whether the dress was blue and black or white and gold. This was an optical illusion that revealed the differences in human color perception. The debate over colors hugely boosted the sales of this brand and that one particular dress had to be restocked over and over again. The brand decided to cash in on it even more by making a separate design of that dress in white and gold as limited edition items. 

We might not even realize just how many brands are utilizing optical illusions in their branding and logos itself. The famous confectionary brand, Toblerone logo itself comes featuring a mountain that everyone is familiar with, however many people seem to miss the bear hidden in it! Big brands like FedEx, Hyundai, etc., have all sneakily incorporated some optical illusion elements in their logos which leaves an impression on the customer when decoded.To attract more attention and turn potential customers in their favor brands can sometimes overdo it and use highly psychedelic visuals that to most people are attractive or “trippy.”

However, it can be really disturbing and even triggering for differently abled people. These kinds of advertising tactics can make many people feel like they are being left out due to them having a differently abled perception. People with autism and Asperger’s syndrome can be negatively impacted by optical illusions too. Similarly, it can be triggering for many, especially people who are prone to suffering from seizures.