Škoda Auto UK had the intention of posing a question to the public; they wanted to test out whether it was possible to make a vehicle that was so exemplary that it would demand the undivided attention of any individual who saw it. In a recent commercial, they show the way in which they tested this out by putting their newest model vehicle on a normal street in London.
They observed the reactions of passersby to the car, and while people did not act like it was the most amazing thing they had ever seen, the video demonstrates that the car was indeed able to draw more than its share of attention when compared to its surroundings.
This commercial plays on a psychological phenomenon that is known as “selective attention.” It actually triggers those who are watching it to experience a short lapse in their skills of observation.
Kendra Cherry, a psychology expert, states that people are consistently being exposed to external sensory stimuli, such as things happening in people’s peripheral vision, background conversations, or any type of white noise in the background. People are, however, able to filter out information that is not pertinent.
Though this process is automatic, it can be consciously directed as well. In this commercial, the voiceover is very focused on the blue car, so viewers are accordingly going to pay attention to the car rather than its surroundings. This makes it appear that the car is more attracting of attention than it naturally is.