The ‘romantic’ advertising tricks that give you unrealistic expectations of love

By Carl W. Jones, Senior Lecturer at Westminster School of Media and Communication, University of Westminster

The run up to February 14 is a good time for selling certain products. And alongside the jewellery and flowers, advertisers also try to sell us something broader: a notion of what we should consider romantic.

This might involve an idyllic and perfectly filmed holiday destination, or the casting of a glamorous Hollywood star to represent a particular perfume. For research has shown that advertising can shape our expectations of what love should look like – from the…

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