ABSTRACT
The advertisers know that when hoping for the comforting reassurance of a successful advertising campaign, the first obstacle to have to overcome is attracting the attention of their target. They also know that attention is one of the scarcest of human mental resources. Undeniably, our attention depends on our needs; but it can also be moulded. In his memoirs of the Great War, George Creel affirmed that the main strength of the posters, more than any other medium, was that of playing a great part in the fight for public opinion. The problem of attention exists especially today because of the overcrowding of posters, spots and adverts and, consequently, the amount of work the mind has to do to deal with the great mass of information is immense. One emotional strategy which is unquestionably effective in attracting attention is to illustrate children. It is curious, but a diffuse halo effect coincides with aesthetic beauty.
