I think you're on the right track, but it's hard to prove anything. Deodorant is also a private product, but advertised widely. It would be interesting to see what sectors spend more on advertising compared to the "size of the market" but I don't know if that would be total revenue or total profit. Automobile brands advertise heavily but gasoline brands are almost invisible. The other night I saw a Mercedes driving up. It was easy to spot because the famous logo was illuminated. I figured it was a tacky aftermarket accessory, but it's a $480 manufacturer option.
Do let us know if you find out. I've always thought the theory of subliminal positive associations was kind of shaky, but I didn't have a better way to explain the amounts of money spent on promotion. FYI-style ads make sense, and the article gets some support from the kinds of ads I see in my junk mail (a vector that does not let me know how many other people got the same message). They are mostly in the "this service exists" style, sometimes simply a restaurant takeout menu, often with unexciting, practical information like a map to the location and operating hours.I'm now mildly interested about how ads work