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Vittoria D'Alessio reports on the social side of a British Psychological Society conference at Strathclyde. Rib-tickling commercials are a powerful and potentially dangerous weapon used by the advertising industry to win consumers and secure brand loyalty, according to Alex Gardner, professor of psychology at Queen's College, Glasgow.

Professor Gardner used a selection of advertisements to demonstrate the growing use of humour to make the consumer "take an active part" in the advertising process. The involvement that accompanies a humorous response is designed to culminate in a "feel-good factor" and an emotional investment in the product, he says.

He warns that in our enthusiasm to maintain brand loyalty, we may disregard danger signals in order to protect our self-esteem.

When it comes to health warnings on cigarette packages, loyalty effectively desensitises the consumer to the importance of the health messages associated with tobacco consumption, he says.

Thus the consumer dismisses the harsh printed words on the front of the packet with the thought: "How can fags possibly kill me when they make me laugh so much?"