How did Surrealism influence advertising?

Surrealism profoundly shaped modern advertising through its attention-grabbing techniques and psychological insights. Surrealist strategies now commonplace in ads include unexpected juxtaposition (products in surprising contexts), scale manipulation (giant objects, tiny people), metamorphosis (products transforming), dreamlike atmospheres, and appeals to unconscious desire rather than rational benefits. Salvador Dali himself worked in advertising, creating the Chupa Chups logo and ads for various brands. Magritte’s imagery has been endlessly appropriated for commercial purposes. The movement’s insight that images can bypass rational thought to affect viewers emotionally became foundational to advertising psychology. Today’s digital advertising continues exploiting surrealist techniques, with AI-generated imagery making dreamlike visuals more accessible than ever.