All caps feel loud. That’s the point. From social feeds to supermarket shelves, marketers lean on capital letters hoping to exaggerate the point they want to make. But does this typographic shortcut actually help messages stick? 

What defines a relationship? Whether it’s with a friend, colleague, customer—or a brand—we intuitively understand the dynamics. But until recently, these social bonds were difficult to quantify across cultures and contexts.

What gives color its meaning? Why does red feel urgent, blue feel calm, or green feel fresh? Marketers and designers have long understood the emotional power of color—but a recent study (“The origin of color categories.” Garside et al., 2024) published in PNAS pushes this understanding further, into the foundations of human cognition. 

Humor is one of the most powerful tools in advertising. It captures attention, fosters emotional connections, and, when done well, can make a brand memorable. But humor is also one of the most difficult elements for AI to understand and replicate effectively. The subtle nuances of timing, delivery, and cultural context often go beyond the capabilities of basic algorithms.

We all know a powerful ad when we see one. But how often do we stop to ask—did we feel it, or just recognize that we were supposed to?  A new neuroscience study offers a fresh lens on this distinction.