You Thought It Was Just a Craving

Have you ever wondered how many ads you see in a single day? Take a second. Make a guess.

Got a number in your head?

Whatever you thought, it’s probably way off. Most people don’t realize it, but the average person comes across somewhere between six thousand to ten thousand ads. Every. Single. Day.

Now imagine this.

You’re in a cab, heading home after a long, draining day at work. The city lights flicker outside the window. Your mind’s foggy, your body’s tired, and suddenly out of nowhere, a thought floats up.

“Domino’s sounds good tonight.”

Feels like your own idea, right? A harmless little craving. Maybe even a reward after a tough day.

But here’s the twist.

That craving? It probably didn’t come out of nowhere.

Weeks ago, without you even noticing, Domino’s was already laying the groundwork. That chill ad you scrolled past on Instagram? The one with the cozy couch and hot, melty pizza? It planted a seed. Or maybe it was that episode of your favorite podcast, where someone casually mentioned pizza as the perfect way to unwind. Seemed like background noise at the time.

But your brain was taking notes.

Without realizing it, you started building little mental shortcuts. Tiny connections between pizza and comfort. Pizza and rest. Pizza and you.

So when that craving finally hit, it didn’t feel like marketing. It felt like you.

But really, it was the result of something deeper, a technique called sensory marketing.

It’s not just about showing you ads anymore. It’s about embedding emotions, timing, and even your habits into how products show up in your life. So by the time you think, “I want this,” the decision’s already been made.

Kind of wild, right?

Next time a craving sneaks up on you, just pause. Ask yourself: Did I choose this? Or was it chosen for me?

Because in a world of 10,000 ads a day, chances are someone else already whispered it in your mind.