Image: by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
Shocking new survey reveals 54% of young Americans report ads infiltrating their dreams.
LONDON — Remember when sleep offered an escape from endless advertising? That era may be ending. While U.S. citizens already face up to 4,000 advertisements daily in their waking hours, research suggests that even our dreams are no longer safe from commercial messaging. A new study reveals that 54% of young Americans report experiencing dreams influenced by ads—and some companies might be doing it intentionally.
The findings come at a critical time, as the American Marketing Association previously reported that 77% of companies surveyed in 2021 expressed intentions to experiment with “dream ads” by this year. What was once considered science fiction may now be becoming reality, with major implications for consumer protection and marketing ethics.
According to The Media Image’s newly released consumer survey focusing on Gen Z and Millennials, 54% of Americans aged 18-35 report having experienced dreams that appeared to be influenced by advertisements or contained ad-like content. Even more striking, 61% of respondents report having such dreams within the past year, with 38% experiencing them regularly—ranging from daily occurrences to monthly episodes.
Conducted by Survey Monkey on behalf of The Media Image between January 2nd and 3rd, 2025, the research included a representative sample of 1,101 American respondents aged 18-35. While the sample skewed slightly female (62%), the findings are considered reflective of broader perspectives within this age group.
Published: 15 January 2025
By: StudyFinds