Traditional advertising is slowly dying due to the reduced attention span and social media engagement. Hence, it must evolve and find a new way. There is a new frontier for advertising, and it no longer seems impossible. Our dreams have been a strong, fertile space for sci-fi movies and speculative fiction. However, they have never been considered a potential medium for advertising, and we have often shrouded them in words like ambition, desire, want, fantasy, and more. Dream advertising is a possibility.
I want you to imagine a world where brands compete for your attention during your waking hours and infiltrate your subconscious, planting messages that subtly emerge when you dream. While Dream Advertising is a conceptual fantasy at this stage, it can potentially transform marketing as we know it today.
Yes, many things need to happen and fall into place before they become a reality, and then, of course, there will be societal, ethical, and psychological consequences. Some encourage, some protect, but surely remain unregulated. And then, there will be a need for ways to make the dream advertising be recalled or work subliminally for results.
How Dream Advertising Could Work.
The science behind dream advertising relies on advancements in neuroscience, AI, and wearable technology. Smart devices could potentially monitor sleep patterns and brain activity, identifying the perfect moment during REM sleep to plant subliminal messages. These messages could be sounds, visual imagery, or emotions associated with a particular brand or product.
Imagine a dream scenario where you’re enjoying a tropical beach holiday. In the background, the sound of the ocean waves subtly transitions into the jingle of a well-known travel company. Upon waking, you might feel an inexplicable urge to book a trip. The brand’s message would be deeply embedded, seamlessly influencing your decision-making process.
Part of this is true even today. Biased narrowcast messages relentlessly invade your mind after observing your behaviour patterns. If this happens during the waking hours, the next frontier is to control you while you sleep.
The Challenges and Ethics.
Technologically, dream advertising would be no small feat. It would require ultra-precise synchronisation between sleep stages and the delivery of tailored content. The challenge lies in creating a non-invasive method for monitoring and interacting with the dreaming mind without causing harm or disruption.
If such a technology becomes available, we will not be confronted with ethical dilemmas for the first time in the world’s history. Advertising during waking hours is already criticised for its intrusiveness. Dream advertising could take this to a new level of manipulation.
How much control should consumers have over their own subconscious? Should there be regulations to protect the sanctity of sleep? Such questions will need serious consideration when dream advertising starts controlling the narrative.
The Impact: Dream Advertising- Consumer Heaven or Dystopia?
In its early stages, dream advertising could feel like a novelty. Imagine dreaming of a romantic dinner featuring a specific brand of wine or using the latest tech gadget. If done well, dream advertising might even inspire creativity.
However, the potential for abuse is enormous. Dreams are deeply personal and tied to our emotions, fears, and desires. Brands could capitalise on insecurities, exploiting them to create artificial needs. Worse, consumers might no longer trust their own dreams as pure, undisturbed reflections of their subconscious. And that is if they remember the subliminal messages.
The Next Step: Ad-Free Dreams?
Ironically, as dream advertising becomes a reality, the ultimate luxury might become ad-free dreams. Think of it as the dream equivalent of YouTube Premium—pay a fee, and you get uninterrupted, unaltered sleep.
Elite sleep therapies could offer “purity protection,” ensuring your subconscious is free from external manipulation. Proper rest and mental autonomy could become the most sought-after commodity in a world saturated with dream advertising.
Conclusion: The Price of Freedom in the era of Dream Advertising.
For the past few years, I have been experimenting with Lucid dreaming. I can get up between dreams, take a break, and join them. I can remember my dreams to a large extent, although their clarity diminishes over time. I regularly attempt to interpret my dreams. Lastly, I use my subconscious library of information to guide my mind towards the dreams I wish to see or the problems I want to solve. That is what sparked my interest in dream Advertising.
Dream advertising has the potential to transform how brands communicate, blurring the lines between waking life and dreams. However, its success depends on two crucial factors: technological precision and ethical restraint.
If handled with care, it could unlock new creative dimensions. If mishandled, it could lead to the commercialisation of one of our most sacred spaces: the mind during sleep.
As we stand on the cusp of these new frontiers, playing with technologies that require other technologies to explain themselves, perhaps the ultimate question is not just whether we can do it but when we will be able to do it. Finally, should we do it? Or is it time for proactive regulations to define the scope and constraints and kill the idea? Keep Dreaming.
BLOG/ 011/2025 If the content interests you, please subscribe to my weekly update. Follow on Twitter S_kotnala. And if you wish to connect, email me.
