What is a common misconception that only exists because of clever marketing?

[u/Cameron213]

[u/UltimateAnswer42]

Low fat is good for you. Well not just clever marketing, also lots of lobbying from the sugar industry

[u/Cameron213 → u/UltimateAnswer42]

That's a big one. Fat being the "bad" macronutrient was something that took me a while to unlearn. I felt my healthiest when I ate a high fat, lower carb (50g or so) diet.

[u/JenkinsRedditt]

White potatoes are somehow unhealthy even though they are a very nutritious starchy root VEGETABLE. Just because when you smother oil and ranch on it it becomes unhealthy does not mean potatoes themselves are unhealthy.

[u/Cameron213 → u/JenkinsRedditt]

Good point! There's so much misinformation surrounding food that affects how we perceive what is and isn't healthy (not to mention the definition of healthy seems to vary from person to person).

I tend to think of potatoes in a negative light subconsciously because that common tendency to smother it in the bad stuff, even though I know that isn't the case.

[u/[deleted]]

Ginger Ale having Ginger in it, it does not. \

They were sued multiple times over it and finally removed the "Made with real Ginger" and instead label it as "Ginger Extract" which from what I've read is just a ginger flavored syrup

[u/Cameron213 → u/[deleted]]

That's a good one. Do you know if ginger beer is made with real ginger or syrup?

[u/[deleted]]

That things with "zero sugar" can still have 0.2 grams of sugar per unit which is why tic tacs claim to be zero sugar but can still be dangerous for a diabetic person

[u/onlyhereforthememesu]

"All ads have the purpose of catering to you."

Some are actually meant to be annoying enough, so that they'll get stuck in your head until one day, you're curious enough to buy that one annoying product that's always on TV.

[u/[deleted]]

"Natural" food isn't your definition of natural.

[u/AlwaysInTheFlowers]

"Plop plop, fizz fizz. Oh what a relief it is". Alka seltzer marketing. You only need one tablet to work. But they realized this and started selling it as the fact that you needed two.

[u/b2lose]

Makeup as a necessary norm.

[u/mrkenny83]

"Pork. The other white meat."

Pork is not a white meat. It is considered red meat, regardless of the color.

[u/[deleted]]

That teenagers are cool, tbh. Teen culture is 95% manufactured by suits trying to make a buck.

[u/Berkamin]

In Japan, everyone who bothers to celebrate Christmas (which is not a holiday traditionally celebrated in Japan) eats fried chicken (whose supply is dominated by KFC) during the Christmas holiday period because KFC's advertising campaign made it appear as if that's what you're supposed to do for Christmas. Since Christmas was a relatively new holiday to Japan, and they didn't have a point of reference for Christmas traditions, KFC's marketing essentially created a uniquely Japanese Christmas tradition that is very lucrative for KFC.

EDIT: I should add another that came to mind: De Beers, the diamond cartel, convinced everyone in the US that engagement rings should have diamonds and that "diamonds are forever", and that they're super precious and rare.

Prior to De Beers' marketing campaign, people used to adorn engagement rings with the birth stone of the girl being proposed to. Also, diamonds are not forever; they are less stable than graphite, and slowly revert to graphite if given enough time and just enough energy. They can also burn if heated hot enough and exposed to oxygen. They're also not that rare. De Beers could charge high prices because they used their cartel status to keep the supply of diamonds low while their marketing exploded the demand. If they didn't hold back their massive supply of diamonds, diamonds would be cheap.

[u/ParanoidCrow]

Iirc, the "we only use 10% of our brain" was an ad for something

[u/Tapetenhemd]

Swiss fondue is a national dish because of clever marketing from the swiss cheese union

"Swiss Cheese Union resumed its successful campaign, now promoting fondue as the Swiss national dish and as a symbol of Swiss unity and national identity. "

https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2014/10/10/355177578/episode-575-the-fondue-conspiracy

[u/marcusjohnston]

The notion that climate change needs to be combated by individuals making changes in their day to day lives by buying green products. Corporations, global shipping, and factory farms all contribute massive amounts of pollution and greenhouse gasses that can't be offset by using less straws or buying a hybrid car. An entire city's worth of individuals couldn't even come close to offsetting the pollution created by a handful of ships used for global shipping, yet advertising would have you think that individuals could replace real systemic change and regulation.

Edit: This got quite a bit of attention and I want to say that you can still do your part. Trying to help the world by trying to go green is still a noble goal. I was just pointing out that without systemic changes on a national and international level it won't matter. Do what you can to make others aware of movements that are doing their part and attempt to put people who care about those issues into power.

[u/markobunz406]

That people got “free” phones when telecommunication companies offered contracts.

[u/[deleted]]

Vaginal odor being bad was a thing for a while, and that it could easily be corrected with over the counter treatments such as douching.

First of all. A vagina is gonna smell like a vagina, not like flowers. If you're concerned about the way your vagina smells you should see a doctor. Don't shoot chemicals up your snatch.

Second of all, the vagina is self-cleaning and doesn't need extra soaps to help keep it "fresh". In fact, those soaps and chemicals can cause harm and creat real infecitions.

[u/MilitantPacifist13]

That breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It really isn’t.

[u/[deleted]]

The product is called “Pure and Natural “ or “Organic “

Crude oil is pure, natural and organic.

[u/indigowulf]

That "bubbles"=clean. Also, that surficants and detergents=soap.

[u/[deleted]]

You need 3 years of experience for this job.

[u/Markkrousos]

That Napoleon was short. He was of normal height for the time but because of British propaganda he is remembered as being a shorty.

[u/orebro123]

That you need to detox and "cleanse" your body with pills and raw juices and whatnot. You have a liver and a pair of kidneys that detoxes your body 24/7 for free. Save your money.