How to Coach Yourself and Others Beware of Manipulation | Page 191
The mathematics of attractive faces, defined by various ratios and dimensions, is quite precise. A
'wide-eyed' face, for example, can cause pleasure or repulsion, with only fractions separating the two.
The faces of babies and children are designed by nature to be attractive to adults, softening hearts and
melting any aggression.
Pictures that are mostly face make us think about the person and their character. We hence easily relate
to them. When more of the body is shown, the face becomes smaller and we look more at what they are
wearing or doing, as well as the other things around them.
The power of eyes
Melanie Bateson and colleagues famously found in 2006 that putting a picture of a pair of eyes above a
coffee pot in a university staff room significantly increased the takings in the honesty box. They tried
different eyes and found that the most effective eyes were direct and staring.
Dan Ariely has noted that most of us cheat, just a bit, although we still like to think of ourselves as
honest (and most certainly want others to think this). So when we believe we are being watched, we are
more honest. The Bateson experiment highlights how this is so deeply ingrained we are even persuaded
by a pair of eyes.
Historical people knew this too, and the 'evil eye' and protective eye symbols have been used for many,
many years. Even the James Bond '007' moniker originated with the '00' as a pair of eyes, with the
magical number 7 to protect them.
We also follow the gaze of people in pictures, wondering what they are looking at. Hence if a number
of people are shown, looking at your product, then viewers will also end up staring at the product too.
Nice scenery
Another image that people often respond well to is the great outdoors. Pictures of trees, mountains,
lakes and meadows make us feel good, which is why so many adverts use such images as backdrops,
even when the product has nothing to do with it.
Nature can also be abstractly included with potted plants in inside scenes or even general green hues
across a picture. The warm glow of the sun or sunsets can alternatively be portrayed with red or orange
hues.
190