There is a new ‘invisible hand’ in advertising and marketing.

Advertising makes use of human psychology and has been doing so for as long as the art has been practised.

I have discovered that a new human sense is being used in the Direct Bullion advert for ‘a free guide to buying gold’ on the Russia Today channel. In addition to the usual features of advertising, there is a distinct ‘heart beat’ playing in the background. Presumably research has established that this improves take up of the advert. Possibly it makes a person tune in to the advert, like a baby in the womb responds to its mother’s heart beat. In my case it makes me tune out and I turn off the sound to take away the annoying beating sound.

The result? When I phoned the number 0800 055 7050 I got no answer! I have just tried it again before publicising this blogpost. The automated voice said: “Sorry, there is a fault. Please try again.”

Much Ado About Nothing.

Incidentally, ‘the invisible hand’ in Adam Smith economics no longer works in a global market.

Further, people are uncomfortable with ‘the invisible eye’ in our surveillance society, possibly because of a guilty conscience, but Christians have lived with the invisible Eye for a very long time: ‘Thou, God, sees me’ Genesis 16:13.

Further, Jesus can cure you of your guilty conscience by justifying you freely before God.

The good news – the Gospel is designed to bring peace to troubled consciences.

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The apostle Paul: Romans 5:1.