Persuasion The David Meade Project

-I don't even know, I don't.

-Would you believe I'm lost for words!

Hello, you discerning people!

You've made the right choice because you're watching the David Meade Project.

And here is the one you all want - David Meade.

-Is that an L, L ?

-Oh, yeah!

Yes!

-Ah!

-Oh, my God!

Once again, David's assignment is to observe one particular aspect of human behaviour.

Along the way, he's going to blow a few people's minds.

It's crazy!

It was just brilliant.

It was weird, yeah. How do you do it?

David has chosen to become a master of the not-so-gentle art of persuasion.

My job is to make people do what I want them to do.

Sometimes, I use the gentle art of persuasion

but, on other occasions, I just force them.

David is the type of bloke who likes to look deeper into things.

Today he is going to persuade random strangers to see

what's hidden right in front of their eyes, in plain sight.

But, as always, not everything is what it seems with David Meade.

For months now, an awful lot of my work has focused around

every single colour in the spectrum but, particularly,

the colour red.

It looks like David has lost his mind to the colour red.

But his infatuation is nothing to the persuasive power he believes that colour has on all of us.

I'm going to be stopping ordinary people in the street

and showing them the other side of this for a split second.

The moment they see it, I'm going to ask them if they've read it. The hope is that

they won't have time to read it, to see a single word on there.

At that moment, I'm going to ask them to name any word in the world, any word they like.

And I believe, if I've designed this correctly,

they will name the only word that I've hidden secretly inside.

And there's only one way that you can properly see the word that's hidden here.

And that's when you use my special clipboard.

Can you look here for me? One, poom! Quick, have you read it?

No, I didn't see it.

I'm going to ask you now, what's the first word that comes into your head?

-Control.

-Control? Why control?

I don't know, it just popped up, and I said control.

It's weird, because the word control isn't actually in there anywhere.

But if you look really carefully...

THEY LAUGH

-What does that feel like?

-Weird.

-Weird, yeah?

As if you're controlling me or something.

There's nothing particularly scientific about this.

I'm using every skill that I have as a mentalist, including this really valuable tool,

to make the participants think of the only word in the world that I want them to.

To convince people that he has these amazing powers,

David has studied academic books on persuasive techniques,

including subliminal advertising.

He then mixes them all up with what he calls mentalism.

The art of mind manipulation.

Red is one of those colours that we can't help but pay attention to.

We're sort of programmed to it.

It's on emergency signs, it's on warning signs, hazard signs, even stop lights in the street.

That's why I like to play with red.

Now, if you just look here for me, and...

-Boom! Have you read it?

-No.

-No, you weren't able to read any of that?

-No.

-OK, brilliant.

-I want you to name a word. Go, name a word.

-Control.

-Control? Why control?

-I don't know.

-If you look here. If I just put this red over it.

Can you see the word?

-Was that a free choice?

-Yes.

-I didn't just tell you to say that, and you didn't just play along?

-No.

Brilliant. That's great.

He said to me, think of a word, and I said control, like, and it was, like, it was there.

He said to me, it was, like, if I had been influenced by him, and I said no,

I don't even know, I don't.

It's funny how certain colours, shapes, words and signs draw our attention.

Those things absolutely capture us, and when we are walking down the street

sometimes one thing will just make us look there magnetically.

Everything around us has a persuasive effect on all of the choices that we make,

so let's say, for instance, I mean, this red graffiti here might make you think of something.

Even the four S's. Red is a really persuasive colour. It's one of the most persuasive colours, actually.

I am going to show you this really, really briefly.

And just look here for me, I'm going to show you the other side.

-Now, poom! OK, have you read it?

-Yes.

-Have you...have you read that?

-Were you able to read it?

-No.

-No, why?

It's blank.

-It's blank? You weren't able to read that, you haven't read it?

-No.

OK, name any word in the world, out loud. Now.

-Secret.

-Secret?

-Yeah.

Was that...is that like your favourite word or did you just choose that randomly?

-No, it was just random.

-Just totally random, right?

-Look at this, take a look through there. You see that billboard?

-Yeah.

You see the word on that billboard? Look through the red.

Oh, my god, yeah! Oh, my god! Yeah.

And the only word that you thought of was secret.

Just how weird!

That was so weird, like.

I just thought of the word, and it was there on the board.

Go, quick! Did you see that? Have you read it?

-You weren't able to read that.

-It's blank.

-Nothing? Blank? OK, name a word.

-Quickly, the first one that comes into your head. Go!

-Secret.

-What?

-Secret.

-Secret? Hold that for me, Tom.

Have you seen this? Look at that, Tom.

-Do you see the word?

-Yeah.

-Do you see it?

-Yeah!

-Did you think you were that easy to influence, Tom?

-Absolutely not, no. I feel very gullible now.

-No, not at all!

It was a blank piece of paper. There's nothing to read.

Then he picked, he got the frame, the red frame and put it to his face,

and it was quite demon-like.

I was, like, what's happening here?

And the next thing, he spun it around and, sure enough, my word,

on the billboard - secret, clear as day.

It's just weird.

I'd see things, and I'd go in and buy stuff,

but I didn't think it was that easy to do it, like.

A little taste of the power of persuasion has got David wanting more.

He's only had a new idea.

Get my own way? Chance would be a fine thing.

But David is determined to find out how these hidden techniques of persuasion really work.

And how devious advertisers make us buy stuff we don't really want.

There has been a raft of really fascinating information written

on how to become more persuasive.

And some of it is genuinely jaw-dropping.

One of the most interesting theories is Anchoring.

And essentially what happens is, an organisation will place

their brand in the hands of, let's say, a beautiful person,

maybe a celebrity endorsement, and also put them in a really desirable location.

It creates the impression, for the people at home,

that if they buy that product, then maybe they'll be associated with the beautiful people,

and maybe they might end up in that desirable location.

Now, we know that that's nonsense.

But it makes us want to buy that product.

If you were to learn all of that, then you could become the most persuasive person in the world.

But I'm a mentalist, and I have my own techniques for forcing people to do exactly what I want.

Oh, dear! David is going into the dodgy food business.

That's an area where persuasive powers

really have to work on the widest range of people.

For this test, I've chosen a random sample of participants.

And that's really important, that they are random.

I want some very adventurous types, and some very fussy eaters as well.

Let's just see how far I can push them.

Oh, yummy! It looks like David is trying to find the most interesting grub

to challenge his powers of persuasion.

Some of these items might test the endurance of the most robust of palates.

But you know how difficult it is to persuade some people to put certain things in their mouths.

Oh, I'm a really fussy eater. I'm quite a bland eater.

I'm not really one for trying new things.

I would try like a new thing maybe once a year, if I'm lucky, and it takes a lot of persuasion.

But this is not just about getting people to try something.

The most aggressive persuasive techniques that David's discovered demand a definite YES.

I've got to say one of the most interesting principles

that I've looked at in persuasion is called the Yes Pyramid.

It's used in call centres all the time.

The person on the end of the phone asks you a series of questions

to which they know that you need to answer yes, again and again and again.

They ask you as many of those questions as possible, so you become conditioned to saying yes.

So that means the moment that they offer you a product you feel like yes is probably what you should say.

It's incredibly effective.

Um...take that for me.

David is using the Yes Pyramid to persuade his guests to eat something

normally completely off their radar.

But, as always, he's adding some mentalist techniques of his own,

one of which is to get them to fixate their attention on a juicy apple.

Then they'll say yes to a bite of raw onion.

-Yes.

-Is it in your hand?

-Yes.

-Is it in your right hand?

-Yes.

-Is it in this room?

-Yes.

-Have you seen one before?

-Yes.

-Have you seen them often?

-Yes.

-Have you used them?

-Yes.

-Have you eaten them?

-Yes.

-Do you like them?

-Yes.

-Do lots of people like them?

-Yes.

-Are they used everywhere?

-Yes.

-Do lots of people use them?

-Yes.

-Take a bite for me.

-No. Ha-ha-ha!

Brilliant! OK.

Just cos I was aware it was an onion, and I sort of knew what he was going to ask me to do,

so the whole time I was answering yes to these questions, kind of you're going to make me

eat this onion, you're going to make me eat it. I'm not going to do it! I refuse.

Not a great start, but David is determined he's going to persuade someone.

-Is it a vegetable?

-Yes.

-Have you seen it before?

-Yes.

-Do you like them?

-Yes.

-Have you eaten many?

-Yes.

I want you to go ahead now,

and take a bite.

Yes! Result!

I took a good few chunks out of that there, and I've never actually eaten an onion like this before,

and I've seen people doing it and I just think it's horrible and I just wouldn't really do it ever,

so I usually wouldn't be that persuaded by people around me.

Onions are one thing, but for the main course, David is serving century eggs.

Of all the exotic food David has chosen, this Chinese delicacy

might persuade some people to never eat again for a hundred years.

I'm feeling a little bit guilty about this one, because I'm going to be using these.

These are a delicacy in some parts of the world,

and they are called century eggs.

It is in fact a duck egg preserved in a mixture of clay, ash,

salt and lime for several weeks or even months.

Some people say that it's like an egg that's a hundred years old,

or a century egg.

I hope this lot can handle it.

This egg is absolutely disgusting.

I can barely smell it,

never mind hold it in my bare hands.

I would believe you if you told me that came out of a dinosaur a thousand years ago.

This is how bad it smells.

It's really difficult to articulate quite how these look and smell.

I would never eat one in a million years, because they are absolutely...

HE GAGS

They are absolutely awful.

HE COUGHS

I want you to smell this for me.

These are century eggs, these are century eggs.

-Have you ever heard of them?

-No.

-They are extremely pungent.

Do you recognise the smell? Do you know what that smells like?

-I don't know, but it's disgusting.

-Yeah, it's like ammonia.

This, however, is jelly and cake. Smell that.

-That's quite nice, isn't it?

-Yeah.

What does that remind you of? What sort of feeling...?

-Strawberries and cream.

-Strawberries and cream. Lovely.

Does it take you back to any sort of nostalgic memories and thoughts in your mind, ice cream and cake?

The scent of home. Mum and Dad.

-Treating yourself.

-Yeah.

-OK.

-After lunch.

-OK.

-Now, Paul, do you like cake?

-Yeah.

-Do you like jelly?

-Yeah.

-Do you like the colours?

-Yeah.

-Do you like parties?

-Yeah.

-Do you like balloons?

-Yeah.

-Do you like the taste?

Yeah.

-Do you like the texture?

-Yeah.

-Do you like the colour?

-Yeah.

-Do you like candles?

-Yes.

-Do you like sitting at home?

-Yes.

-On the couch?

-Yes.

-Mum and Dad are there?

-Yes.

-Open up here.

-Yes.

-Open up for me.

-Do you like cake?

-Yeah.

-Do you like candles?

-Yes.

-That feels normal.

-A-ha.

-Do you like Christmas?

-Yeah.

-Do you like parties?

-Yes.

-You like presents, don't you?

-Yes.

-You do! Everyone likes presents.

-Do you like party games?

-Yes.

I'm going to go to the yolk now.

-Do you like pass the parcel?

-Yes.

Do you like bunting?

Yes.

-Do you like friends round?

-Yes.

-Do you like the party games?

-Yes.

-Do you like musical chairs?

-Yes.

-Does that taste nice?

-Yes, actually.

-So it tastes good?

-A-ha.

-You're enjoying it, aren't you?

-A-ha.

-And you trust me.

-A-ha.

-Of course you do!

-Do you like parties?

-Yes.

-Do you like presents?

-Yes.

-Do you like candles?

-Yes.

-Do you like cakes?

-Yes.

-See how far we can go with this. And this doesn't feel weird, does it?

-Not really.

-It doesn't feel strange?

Let that go down for me.

Now, Paul, tell me. If I was to ask you now to go again without the Yes Pyramid, things might be different.

-Do you think you can take it now?

-I think so, yeah.

-Do you think so? OK.

-So I'm not going to do the Yes Pryamid now.

-OK.

OK. Let's go.

I'm going to do this slowly, because you've got no Yes Pyramid,

and you've got no opportunity to convince your subconscious that this should be nice. OK?

OK.

So slowly now.

-Oh, oh, the smell.

-Couldn't do it?

-I don't... Um...

-Without the Yes Pyramid.

-Arg!

-Now, no Yes Pyramid there, yeah. Too much?

-Yeah.

-Without the yeses?

-A-ha.

I was sort of hesitant, cos I could smell what I smelt on the plate initially.

And as soon as he put it in my mouth, it had to come out.

It wasn't going down.

Looks like David is on a roll.

-Do you like cake?

-Yes.

-Do you like birthday parties?

-Yes.

-Do you like candles?

-Yes.

-Silly faces?

No, there's no way you'll ever persuade this one.

-Face painting?

-Yes.

-Try some. Do you like parties?

-Yes.

-Birthday parties?

-Yes.

Do you like cakes?

I think there was some kind of connection telling my body

to physically eat something that I know is so disgusting.

And for it to taste so delicious during the Yes Pyramid is unbelievable.

-Do you like them scrambled?

-Yes.

-Oh, no! Not Miss Fussy Chops again.

She'll never swallow this one.

-Do you like cake?

-Yes.

-Do you like jelly?

-Yes.

-Do you like Battenberg?

-Yes.

-Give it a smell. You like jelly as well, don't you?

-Yes.

-And you like Battenberg.

It's delicious, isn't it? You like it! And you like ice cream?

Blimey! She's only gone and eaten it.

Oi! Leave a bit for everyone else!

A hundred-year egg does not sound as if that is going to be tasty.

Week-old eggs, they're not going to be tasty.

So, I mean, I knew I should have been expecting something horrible,

but it just tasted nice. Ha-ha-ha!

It actually tasted like jelly.

Literally like jelly, which was on the other plate.

And the yolk of the egg was just like eating marzipan.

So if I crack this open I'm expecting marzipan.

Now he has the taste for getting his own way, David wants to emulate

the heavy weights of persuasion on the high street.

It seems obvious to me that we're all persuaded and influenced every moment of every day,

every second that we walk down the high street, someone is trying to sell us something.

David wants to use his powers of persuasion to become a super salesman.

He's going to use a variety of techniques to convince a customer

to choose one item in a shop of thousands.

The rules of this one are really simple.

I'm going to take a potential customer into a huge store,

a store that's got hundreds of thousands of items.

Their job is to pick any one of those items, and they must believe that it's a totally free choice.

My job is to make them pick the one and only one item that I have in mind. And it probably might not work.

David has chosen this perfect consumer, Julie, mother of two.

A target demographic for big-time advertisers.

She wouldn't mind honing her powers of persuasion too.

It would certainly make life with two kids at home a lot easier.

Children, would you like to empty the dishwasher?

"Oh, yes, Mum, that would be lovely."

And off they go, so if you could...

frame questions in such a way

that people gave you the answer that you would like,

and then actually acted on it, it would make life a lot easier.

And David has chosen a perfect environment for Julie

where she's spoiled for choice.

I've chosen a really eclectic shop with lots of quirky little bits and pieces.

It doesn't sell just one thing. It sells thousands of things.

And I want to see if I can make one item in this shop more attractive than any other.

Hi, Julie. How are you? Thank you for coming. I really, really...

Lovely to see you.

I love shops that are really eclectic,

and you are brolly a little bit overwhelmed by it.

I mean, if you take a look here, there are so many things to get inside your mind.

I mean, there's brolly one or two things that stand out for you.

Is there anything in particular that jumps out at you?

The bright things over there, and I saw wee flowery cups somewhere.

Actually, you know, I want to ask you, Julie. Have you brought something along with you today?

-I have, yes.

-Let's see what you have there.

Now, this is an envelope that I sent to you a couple of days ago. When did you receive this?

-Yesterday morning.

-Yesterday morning.

-I want you to keep that in there. Keep it nice and sealed with the clap totally closed.

-OK.

-I hope you've brought your credit card!

-Ha-ha! No, I brought yours instead.

So go ahead, whenever you're ready, Julie, just go and have a wee wander.

-Wander. I can just hear my mother going "dust clock"!

-Ha-ha!

My wife would say exactly the same thing.

But I can't seem to have a feel of what I want.

That's why I keep her in the shed. Oh, one of these ones.

Absolutely gorgeous. You know what it reminds me of? You know the old telephones?

-You know? And I'm just imagining the tea raining out of that, you know.

-Yes.

-Umbrellas are handy.

Um...brella like me...might be able to carry this on.

I'm just trying to think if it's a little bit too blotchy for me.

But you know what? I like it.

I'll leave you to wander around then,

and do you know where you're headed or...?

-I know what I would like to choose.

-All right, OK.

Nice umbrellas.

Yes.

I like that one. A bit girl-about-town.

And not as fancy as the ones with the tassel.

More sensible.

Yes, for chasing the kids with.

-I've got something for you.

-Oh, you got something? Brilliant!

-I do indeed!

Bring it over. Bring it over, let me see.

Now, I promise I won't judge you based on your taste.

So, actually, you know, this is an interesting choice.

-Do you think that I had any control over what you would pick?

-No.

-Do you remember what I said to you when we arrived here?

-A-ha.

Do you remember some of the words that I said?

You're BROLLY going to find it really difficult to choose something.

-Do you remember that?

-No.

And I also told you that you're BROLLY going to be overwhelmed by some of the things that you picked.

And you're BROLLY a little bit overwhelmed by it.

And even up there, while we were looking at the shirts. Let's go that way, actually.

Even up there while we were looking at the shirts, I even said...

UM...BRELLA like me...might be able to carry this on.

I'm just trying to think if it's a little bit too blotchy for me.

-Now, you have an envelope that you received...when did you receive this?

-Yesterday morning.

Yesterday morning. Now, has anyone in the world had the opportunity to tamper with it?

No, it's been with me or on the kitchen table.

-Here we go.

-Right.

-And if you unfold that, you will see this way...

"Dear Julie, I'm sooo excited to meet you tomorrow.

"I'll be using every one of my skills to persuade you to pick..."

Ta-daa!

-Umbrella! Umbrella!

-Ha-ha!

Now, Julie, are you happy that that was a free-choice?

-And no one had the opportunity to tamper with this?

-No.

If you think that was good, you should see this.

Take a look this way. B-R-O-L-L-Y.

You could have chosen anything in the world. It was all your own choice.

B-R-O-L-L-Y. Did you even see that?

-No.

-It just washed over your subconscious.

Would you believe I'm lost for words! Ha-ha!

It feels really great for me because I've been thinking about this for years, planning it,

trying it out and I had no way of knowing if it was going to work.

24-hours effort of setting up that shop, all paid off.

She thought of precisely the object I wanted her to.

Even though there were hundreds of potential things she could have chosen.

But she was so good for that, that I'd like to see if I can give her some of my own persuasive skills.

David is going to share with Julie his talents of persuasion.

He's going to coach Julie in some of his secret techniques.

He's hoping she's going to become an expert in the art of getting your own way.

All I can say is, god help her kids.

As consumers, I think we all accept that every moment that we spend inside a store,

we are being persuaded and influenced to buy products.

I think I'd like to shake it up a little bit though.

I want to see if I can convince Julie that she might be a supreme persuader.

Well, that's David convinced,

but this is going to be a tricky assignment for Julie.

Firstly, she has to decide on a secret word,

and then she'll have four goes to put that word in someone else's head.

If that works, then that person will draw at least one picture

that illustrates the secret word.

Inspired by her experience in the shop,

Julie is now going to try and come up with four of what she believes

might be the most persuasive statements in the world.

David has created the perfect environment.

A penthouse apartment, a full-size drawing board,

and a lectern for Julie to project her persuasive statements.

But even the high altitude hasn't raised Julie's hopes of becoming a supreme persuader.

Nervous. I think a good word would be trepidation.

Hi, Blanche. Thank you for coming to help me. I really appreciate it.

And who is the lucky recipient of all this persuasion? Blanche.

-Brilliant, brilliant.

-I couldn't hardly sleep last night.

-Good one, sorry to hear that. I keep a lot of women awake at night, as you might imagine.

-Yes, I can.

Oh, do me a favour.

I selected another random participant for Julie to work with.

Julie has never met this person before.

The participant's job will just be to hear all of Julie's persuasive statements.

And then draw anything that she likes in the world.

The drawings really will be her choice.

It will be interesting to see if anything matches.

Blanche, unbeknownst to you, Julie is a persuader supremo.

She has been honing her ability to persuade people to do anything that she wants very, very carefully.

One thing I need to check is, you don't yet have any pictures, images, or anything inside your head?

-No.

-You have no idea what you're about to do?

-Definitely not.

-Brilliant.

And for you, Julie, is there anyone in the world that knows

what you're trying to convince Blanche of, or persuade her to do?

-No, just me.

-No one. So this is a total secret?

-Just me.

And it really is just inside your head?

Now, if this works, she might be running the country in two years, Blanche.

So I would just keep on the right side of her.

OK, Blanche. Now, listen carefully to Julie's first statement

to hear the word that Julie is trying to persuade you to draw.

So how's you today?

It's probably a bit freaky. A wee bit exciting, and little bit different, I suppose.

Go ahead and start drawing.

Um... This is interesting.

It's quite interesting.

OK, I think it's really interesting, because there's quite a lot of detail in it.

-I am glad you think so.

-And it just sort of popped into your head and...?

Oh, yes, very...very random.

OK, well, Julie, yes or no.

Did it involve a flower or a table?

Can I just keep that to myself, just for a wee minute or two? I'd rather not say it just at the minute.

-All right, OK. You going to play this game? All right.

-Play my options.

Julie is playing cagey, but let's see if Blanche can spot the word in persuasive statement number two.

I've been looking out at the view out there and a cruise ship caught my eye.

Some size, isn't it? Like how many floors does it have?

From first class right down to steerage.

I always like to travel first class.

And can you draw, please?

OK, Blanche.

Now, I have to say I'm really excited to see this one in particular.

-Are you finished?

-Yes.

-You happy?

OK, well, this is a really interesting one.

Yes or no, does it involve a kite or a balloon?

-No.

-No?

-No.

-Is that a conclusive no?

-No.

OK. Now, Julie, whenever you're ready, persuasive statement number three.

A wee word just popped into my mind. It's a wee bit random.

I'd just like to put it out in the room. Cloud.

Cloud. A cloud?

What is she on about? I think Julie is losing the plot.

Now, Blanche, if you were to describe what that is, what you've drawn there,

what would you say that is, Blanche?

-Looks a bit like an wishbone.

-OK, like a wishbone, is it? OK.

Was it anything to do with either poultry or a wishbone or...?

-No.

-No?

The one thing it isn't is a cloud.

I'm not sure the persuasive statements are hitting home.

Before you start drawing, I'm going to give you five words and then I'd like you to start drawing.

Is that OK?

We've got happy, oblivious, useful,

succinct, elephant.

Right.

-That's it. A snake.

-OK, a snake.

-It's a no.

-It's a no? A definite no?

-No. Definite no.

That's it then. Julie has used her four statements. Blanche seems to have drawn a blank.

This is where you normally say back to the drawing board, but in this case, maybe not.

I think we'll maybe give it one more wee go.

And if it doesn't work, please be assured that it's not your...it's not your fault, OK?

OK.

This time, Julie, I just want you to look Blanche in the eyes and speak from the heart.

One last check. So how's you today? How's...

I'm starting to get quite nervous. Now I do want this to work, so... Um...

-That's grand. If you just want to...

-Let's just draw.

-OK, OK.

What is your final picture?

That looks a bit like a pound sign.

Was what you were trying to persuade Blanche to do in any way related to sort of finance, money, bank?

Well, that was definitely not on the money.

Let's see where it all went wrong.

OK, all right. Julie, how do you feel about how things have gone?

I suppose...a wee bit disappointed that it didn't work.

I suppose I was quite optimistic when we started off with the first picture.

I thought we were getting there.

What was it? What were you trying to persuade Blanche to do?

-House.

-A house.

-A house.

Did you at any point get anything sort of house related?

Or anything to do with buildings or...?

-Not really.

-Not really, no.

-No.

What was your...?

-Oh! You!

-No...

Never! Never in a month... Not in a...

No!

Never in a month of Sundays!

H-O-U-S-E.

-NO!

-Oh! You're joking!

Let me see, H-O-U-S-E.

SHE LAUGHS

How did you do that?

How did Blanche do that?

I don't know.

The pound sign at the end should have been a capital E, and then the S fell into place,

and then, suddenly, he said, "Oh, that shape with the tables, that should have been the letter H."

And so, it was just brilliant.

And then, all of a sudden, it just clicked. H-O-U-S-E.

And there it was. Spelt out.

Aaaah! It's like that. I am hyper, actually!

I'll be singing and dancing on the train on the way home.

Wow! That was absolutely mind-blowing there.

It seems that we are all influenced and persuaded, every moment of every day.

And I think some people are naturally quite good at this. They've got a gift for it.

Other people though, like me, need to use tricks and techniques to make people do what I want them to do.

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