>>Oddly, because I watch TV so rarely, I find myself actually watching the ads - not because I'm interested in the product in question, just curious as to what the advertisers think will sell it.
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>It may have a subliminal effect but I can't think of anything I've ever bought because of advertising.

It has the effect and I have bought stuff based on advertising. I bought what I found out has the best customer reviews (disregarded the illiterate and written by morons) and what was not advertised too much. The cost of advertising is in the price, and that's money I really don't feel like forking out. It's also money that didn't go into development and quality control of the product.

A simple example is takeout pizza. I never bought Domino's, because their ad was boring, loud, repeated ad nauseam over several months and borderline kitch (and that's the border on the other side, i.e. almost beyond kitsch). I never saw an ad for Papa John's, so that's where I went.