Neuromarketing examples reveal how leading brands use neuroscience to improve advertising performance, emotional engagement, and consumer decision-making. By measuring subconscious responses—such as attention, emotion, and memory—neuromarketing techniques help companies predict which ads, visuals, or messages will resonate before launching a campaign.

This guide features ten high-impact neuromarketing examples from global brands including Coca-Cola, TikTok, Google, and IKEA. Each brand applies advanced neuromarketing tools like EEG, eye-tracking, facial coding, and predictive modeling to test creative content, refine user experience, and drive brand recall. These real-world applications show how neuromarketing in advertising is used to optimize campaign effectiveness across video, packaging, in-store design, and digital platforms.

Learn more about neuromarketing in this article

For marketers, strategists, and brand teams, these neuromarketing examples offer actionable insight into how applied neuroscience transforms emotional branding, content testing, and consumer engagement—making campaigns more effective and scientifically validated.

1. Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola is a globally recognized beverage brand known for emotionally resonant storytelling and consistent visual branding. Neuromarketing in Coca-Cola’s advertising focuses on emotional branding and sensory marketing to drive subconscious engagement and brand recall.

The video shows an attention analysis of a famous Coca-Cola campaign.

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What Neuromarketing Techniques Does Coca-Cola Use in Advertising?

• Eye-Tracking: Coca-Cola uses eye-tracking in both retail environments and digital settings to monitor visual attention on packaging, product placement, and branded displays. This helps the brand identify high-visibility zones and optimize visual layouts for in-store conversion and brand recall.
• EEG (Electroencephalography): Coca-Cola employs EEG to assess consumer brain responses during exposure to its advertising campaigns. By measuring emotional intensity and cognitive load, the company fine-tunes visual storytelling and message delivery to maximize engagement.
• Sensory Branding: Coca-Cola incorporates multisensory cues—including its signature red color, the sound of a bottle opening, and the taste of its product—to evoke emotional associations and strengthen long-term brand loyalty. These sensory triggers are informed by neuromarketing insights on emotional memory and brand perception.

What Are Real-Life Examples of Coca-Cola Using Neuromarketing in Advertising?

1. The "Share a Coke" Campaign: Personalized names on bottles created a sense of emotional connection and encouraged consumer interaction through social sharing.
2. Holiday Campaigns: Iconic Christmas advertisements use nostalgic visuals, color, and music to activate emotional memory and reinforce brand identity.

Neuromarketing Impact on Coca-Cola’s Strategy

Coca-Cola’s neuromarketing strategies support emotional branding, helping the brand maintain global resonance. Coca-Cola’s approach aligns with leading neuromarketing methodologies used to enhance emotional salience and long-term memory encoding in advertising.

2. TikTok

TikTok is a short-form video platform known for its algorithm-driven content delivery and immersive user experiences. TikTok integrates neuromarketing into its advertising strategy to enhance user attention, maximize brand recall, and improve creative effectiveness across platforms.

The illustration shows key figures from TikTok’s neuromarketing study with Neurons.

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What Neuromarketing Techniques Does TikTok Use in Advertising?

• EEG (Electroencephalography): TikTok uses EEG to measure users’ emotional and cognitive engagement with various ad formats across different platforms. This data helps TikTok understand how short-form video ads stimulate attention and emotion, allowing brands to tailor content for maximum resonance.
• Eye-Tracking: TikTok applies eye-tracking to analyze how users visually interact with fast-paced content on the platform. The insights reveal which creative elements—such as pacing, transitions, or product placement—hold attention and improve message retention.
• AI-Powered Predictive Modeling: TikTok integrates AI with neuroscience data to forecast ad performance before launch. By simulating viewer responses based on prior EEG and eye-tracking data, TikTok helps advertisers refine creative strategy and boost effectiveness across campaigns.

What Are Real-Life Examples of TikTok Using Neuromarketing in Advertising?

1. Cross-Media Attention Study with Neurons: TikTok partnered with Neurons to assess how viewers responded to the same ad across TV, streaming, and TikTok. The study revealed higher attention and stronger brand recall when TikTok was part of a multi-channel strategy.
2. Creative Optimization Studies: TikTok uses neuromarketing insights to test ad effectiveness pre-launch, allowing advertisers to fine-tune messaging, pacing, and visuals for maximum cognitive and emotional impact.

Neuromarketing Impact on TikTok’s Strategy

TikTok’s partnership with Neurons highlights its investment in neuromarketing to validate and enhance the performance of advertising campaigns. In a cross-channel study, participants exposed to ads across TV, streaming, and TikTok exhibited significantly greater attention and improved brand recall when TikTok was included as part of the media mix. The results confirmed that multi-channel campaigns integrating TikTok drive more consistent viewer engagement, reinforcing the value of short-form content within broader marketing ecosystems.

3. Google

Google is a global technology leader in search, advertising, and digital innovation. Neuromarketing in Google’s advertising strategy focuses on cognitive processing, emotional engagement, and decision-making patterns to improve user interaction and ad performance.

What Neuromarketing Techniques Does Google Use in Advertising?

• EEG (Electroencephalography): Google uses EEG to monitor how users emotionally and cognitively respond to ad formats, including skippable vs. non-skippable YouTube ads and various keyword presentations. This helps refine message clarity and emotional appeal.
• Eye-Tracking: Eye-tracking is used to analyze how users visually engage with search engine results, ad placements, and YouTube content. These insights inform ad layout, call-to-action positioning, and visual hierarchy.
• Implicit Association Testing (IAT): Google applies IAT to uncover subconscious associations between brand messaging and user perception. This technique supports brand voice refinement and more targeted audience segmentation.

What Are Real-Life Examples of Google Using Neuromarketing in Advertising?

1. Search Results Optimization Studies: Google conducted eye-tracking experiments to determine how different search result layouts influence user attention and engagement.
2. YouTube Ads Engagement Analysis: EEG and facial coding were used to evaluate viewer reactions to different ad types, helping Google optimize emotional appeal and reduce cognitive fatigue.

Neuromarketing Impact on Google’s Strategy

Google uses neuromarketing to inform ad format decisions, improve visual design, and strengthen emotional engagement across search and video platforms. These insights enable more intuitive, data-driven advertising experiences that align with how users think and feel.

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4. McDonald’s

McDonald’s is a global fast-food brand known for visual consistency, rapid service, and emotionally resonant campaigns. Neuromarketing in McDonald’s advertising strategy focuses on visual salience, emotional conditioning, and environmental interaction to influence consumer behavior.

The image illustrates McDonald’s strong color recognition (color psychology).

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What Neuromarketing Techniques Does McDonald’s Use in Advertising?

• Eye-Tracking: McDonald’s uses eye-tracking studies to observe customer gaze behavior on digital menu boards, self-service kiosks, and in-store displays. This helps optimize visual layout, highlight key promotions, and reduce friction in the ordering process.
• Color Psychology: Red and yellow, consistently used in McDonald’s branding and restaurant design, are associated with appetite stimulation and emotional warmth. These color choices are supported by neuromarketing insights on visual-emotional triggers.
• Facial Coding: McDonald’s measures subconscious emotional reactions during in-store and digital ad experiences. Emotional response data helps refine storytelling, humor, and call-to-action effectiveness in campaigns.

What Are Real-Life Examples of McDonald’s Using Neuromarketing in Advertising?

1. Digital Menu Board Optimization: Eye-tracking studies led to improved layout and design of digital menus, boosting clarity and drawing attention to high-margin items.
2. Self-Service Kiosk Interaction: Eye-tracking informed interface redesigns that improved user flow and reduced cognitive load during the ordering process.

Neuromarketing Impact on McDonald’s Strategy

McDonald’s uses neuromarketing to reinforce a fast, emotionally positive customer experience. By applying neuroscience insights, the brand improves message clarity, visual attention, and emotional satisfaction at both physical and digital touchpoints.

5. Meta (Facebook)

Meta is a global technology company that owns platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Neuromarketing in Meta’s advertising strategy centers on emotional engagement, cognitive processing, and immersive interaction—especially in virtual and augmented environments.

The video shows Meta’s neuromarketing research with Neurons.

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What Neuromarketing Techniques Does Meta Use in Advertising?

• EEG (Electroencephalography): Meta uses EEG to analyze brainwave patterns during VR and ad engagement, measuring cognitive load and emotional intensity. These insights inform immersive content design and ad structure on Facebook and Instagram.
• Facial Coding: Meta applies facial coding to decode users’ emotional expressions in response to feed-based and video content. This data refines emotional tone, pacing, and message framing.
• Virtual Reality Testing: Meta integrates EEG and facial coding into VR testing via platforms like Oculus, revealing how immersive experiences compare to real-life emotional engagement.

What Are Real-Life Examples of Meta Using Neuromarketing in Advertising?

1. Oculus VR Engagement Study: Meta worked with Neurons to compare emotional responses in virtual versus in-person conversations. Results showed VR experiences closely mimicked the emotional intensity of face-to-face interactions.
2. Emotion-Driven Ad Design: EEG and facial coding were used to enhance ad formats on Facebook, improving resonance, attention retention, and emotional connection with users.

Neuromarketing Impact on Meta’s Strategy

Meta’s work with Neurons supports its evolution toward immersive, emotionally rich experiences. Neuromarketing insights guide VR content, feed ad design, and cross-platform storytelling that aligns with how users process and feel digital interactions.

6. Frito-Lay

Frito-Lay is a leading global snack brand under PepsiCo, known for Lay’s, Doritos, and Cheetos. The company incorporates neuromarketing to refine advertising, packaging, and emotional resonance.

The image illustrates eye-tracking research applied to Frito-Lay’s shelf positioning.

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What Neuromarketing Techniques Does Frito-Lay Use in Advertising?

• EEG (Electroencephalography): Frito-Lay uses EEG to evaluate how consumers respond emotionally and cognitively to its advertisements. The brand uses these insights to tailor storytelling and visuals for better memorability and emotional impact.
• Biometric Analysis: Frito-Lay uses biometric analysis to monitor heart rate and skin conductance, tracking unconscious emotional arousal in response to specific designs and messaging in ads and packaging.
• Facial Coding: Frito-Lay uses facial coding to analyze expressions during ad viewing, detecting emotional responses to humor, pacing, and tone to guide creative refinement.

What Are Real-Life Examples of Frito-Lay Using Neuromarketing in Advertising?

1. Doritos Ad Testing: EEG and biometric analysis guided adjustments in ad pacing, narrative structure, and sensory cues to intensify emotional engagement.
2. Lay’s Packaging Redesign: Facial coding revealed which visual design elements on packaging triggered positive emotional responses, leading to more appealing shelf presentation.

Neuromarketing Impact on Frito-Lay’s Strategy

Frito-Lay’s neuromarketing efforts enhance emotional appeal, creative decision-making, and product interaction, leading to more impactful campaigns and increased brand affinity.

7. Monotype

Monotype is a global typography company helping brands communicate identity through type. In partnership with Neurons, Monotype explored how font choices influence emotion, trust, and readability.

The gif shows neuromarketing research conducted on fonts by Monotype.

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What Neuromarketing Techniques Does Monotype Use in Advertising?

• EEG (Electroencephalography): Monotype uses EEG, in collaboration with Neurons, to study how different typefaces affect brain activity. The brand uses this data to determine which fonts increase attention and emotional engagement.
• Facial Coding: Monotype uses facial coding to observe microexpressions during font exposure, identifying typefaces that evoke trust, hesitation, or clarity.
• Implicit Association Testing (IAT): Monotype uses IAT to uncover subconscious associations between fonts and brand attributes, such as modernity or authority, guiding type selection.

What Are Real-Life Examples of Monotype Using Neuromarketing in Advertising?

1. Font Emotion Study: EEG and facial coding helped Monotype identify serif fonts as more trustworthy, guiding font recommendations for financial and healthcare sectors.
2. Typeface-Brand Fit Testing: IAT revealed font preferences tied to brand personality traits, supporting typography selection in campaigns and brand identity.

Neuromarketing Impact on Monotype’s Strategy

Monotype’s work with Neurons helped demonstrate that typography shapes brand perception at the subconscious level. These findings help brands choose fonts that support credibility, emotional resonance, and user trust.

8. Spotify

Spotify is a global audio streaming leader known for data-driven personalization and brand storytelling. Spotify collaborated with Neurons to validate emotional impact and cultural resonance in large-scale campaigns.

The video shows Spotify India’s Beat of a Billion campaign using neuromarketing techniques to create the catchiest beat ever.

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What Neuromarketing Techniques Does Spotify Use in Advertising?

• EEG (Electroencephalography): Spotify uses EEG to monitor how music, dialogue, and visuals trigger emotional and cognitive responses. These insights help ensure that campaigns maintain audience attention and emotional connection.
• Facial Coding: Spotify uses facial coding to track emotional expressions during playback of video campaigns, identifying scenes that evoke joy, curiosity, or empathy.
• Sensory Branding: Spotify uses neuromarketing insights to integrate sound and visuals in ways that create immersive, culturally relevant brand experiences.

What Are Real-Life Examples of Spotify Using Neuromarketing in Advertising?

1. “The Beat of a Billion” Campaign: In collaboration with Neurons, EEG and facial coding confirmed emotional resonance with Indian audiences, leading to refined messaging and musical composition.
2. Audio Ad Optimization: EEG feedback was used to restructure audio ads for improved pacing and attention retention.

Neuromarketing Impact on Spotify’s Strategy

Spotify’s neuromarketing program clarified which creative elements foster emotional connection. These insights help drive brand affinity, listener loyalty, and cultural relevance in global campaigns.

9. Lowe’s

Lowe’s is a major home improvement retailer focused on connecting advertising with in-store behavior. The company partnered with Neurons to study how media exposure shapes shopper attention and in-store navigation.

The video shows Lowe’s Innovation Labs' collaborative neuromarketing study with Neurons.

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What Neuromarketing Techniques Does Lowe’s Use in Advertising?

• Eye-Tracking: Lowe’s uses wearable eye-tracking technology from Neurons to measure shopper focus on displays and signage, especially after ad exposure. These insights reveal which visual elements reinforce messaging most effectively.
• Behavioral Mapping: Lowe’s uses behavioral mapping to combine eye-tracking data with in-store movement, identifying which ads influence foot traffic and product engagement.
• Memory Testing: Lowe’s uses memory testing to assess whether advertising messages are retained and recalled during in-store visits, guiding adjustments to creative and point-of-sale strategy.

What Are Real-Life Examples of Lowe’s Using Neuromarketing in Advertising?

1. Paint Aisle Eye-Tracking Study: Lowe’s and Neurons observed how customers previously exposed to ads behaved differently in the paint section, revealing stronger product focus and engagement.
2. Ad Exposure Behavior Mapping: Comparative studies between ad-aware and control groups helped Lowe’s optimize signage and layout to improve product discovery and shopper flow.

Neuromarketing Impact on Lowe’s Strategy

Lowe’s neuromarketing work with Neurons enabled it to connect ad campaigns with in-store actions. The findings helped the brand refine ad targeting, visual merchandising, and shopper engagement strategies.

10. IKEA

IKEA is a multinational home furnishing company known for design innovation and sustainability. The brand worked with Neurons to assess how sustainability messaging influenced consumer emotion, attention, and retention.

The image below shows color psychology applied to IKEA stores.

What Neuromarketing Techniques Does IKEA Use in Advertising?

• EEG (Electroencephalography): IKEA uses EEG to evaluate how emotionally and cognitively engaging its sustainability-focused content is, guiding adjustments to tone and clarity.
• Eye-Tracking: IKEA uses eye-tracking to monitor visual attention to environmental messages and design cues, identifying which elements maintain focus and drive recall.
• Facial Coding: IKEA uses facial coding to assess emotional reactions to its environmental storytelling, ensuring alignment with values like trust, innovation, and care.

What Are Real-Life Examples of IKEA Using Neuromarketing in Advertising?

1. Sustainability Campaign Testing: IKEA and Neurons optimized messaging for its clean energy and renewable materials campaigns by analyzing EEG and eye-tracking results.
2. Visual Framing of Sustainable Products: Emotional and visual engagement data-informed how eco-conscious visuals were positioned, improving clarity and connection.

Neuromarketing Impact on IKEA’s Strategy

IKEA’s collaboration with Neurons provided science-backed validation of its environmental storytelling. These insights helped improve emotional salience, campaign effectiveness, and alignment with IKEA’s brand values.

The table below provides an overview of neuromarketing examples, highlighting the techniques and tools used by leading global brands.

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What Are Examples of Neuromarketing in Different Disciplines?

Neuromarketing techniques are applied across diverse fields to enhance engagement, optimize communication, and drive behavior. Five key disciplines using neuromarketing are listed below.

• Branding
• Product Design
• Retail Experience
• Media and Entertainment
• Public Communication and Nonprofits

How Is Neuromarketing Used in Branding?

Neuromarketing in branding focuses on how consumers perceive and emotionally connect with visual and verbal brand elements. By using techniques like EEG, facial coding, and IAT, brands gain insight into subconscious preferences that influence brand trust and recognition.

• Evaluate subconscious reactions to logos, typography, taglines, and color palettes.
• Use EEG to measure attention and emotional engagement with brand identity assets.
• Apply IAT to understand implicit associations between brand visuals and consumer values.
• Use facial coding to assess trust and emotional resonance with brand messages.
• Refine branding for consistency, recall, and emotional differentiation across platforms.

How Is Neuromarketing Used in Product Design?

Neuromarketing helps brands develop products that are not only functional but also emotionally appealing. Testing emotional responses to form, texture, packaging, and usability reveals subconscious drivers of product preference.

• Use eye-tracking to analyze attention on packaging design and product interfaces.
• Apply EEG and biometric analysis to identify emotional arousal linked to design elements.
• Test sensory elements such as weight, shape, or material feel for subconscious appeal.
• Optimize product features and packaging based on cognitive load and emotional triggers.
• Improve usability and user satisfaction by aligning design with instinctive behavior.

How Is Neuromarketing Used in Retail Experience?

In physical retail environments, neuromarketing measures how consumers engage with space, signage, and products. These insights help retailers craft layouts that increase engagement, ease navigation, and drive purchase behavior.

• Use wearable eye-tracking to analyze real-time attention in-store.
• Apply behavioral mapping to correlate shopper movement with product exposure.
• Test lighting, music, and scent to influence emotional state and dwell time.
• Optimize endcap displays, shelf layouts, and signage based on visual engagement data.
• Improve wayfinding and product discovery by identifying subconscious navigation patterns.

How Is Neuromarketing Used in Media and Entertainment?

Neuromarketing enhances the storytelling power of video, music, and interactive media. By identifying emotional peaks and engagement drop-offs, content creators can fine-tune narratives for maximum viewer retention and emotional impact.

• Use EEG to map emotional arousal and attention throughout video and audio content.
• Apply facial coding to gauge emotional responses to specific scenes or characters.
• Test pacing, voiceovers, transitions, and visual effects for emotional consistency.
• Measure viewer fatigue, excitement, or confusion to guide content structure.
• Align soundtracks, editing, and visual tone with desired audience reactions.

How Is Neuromarketing Used in Public Communication and Nonprofits?

Nonprofits and public health campaigns use neuromarketing to increase the clarity, urgency, and emotional impact of their messaging. These insights help motivate behavioral change, increase donations, or promote awareness.

• Use EEG and facial coding to test emotional impact and attention to key messages.
• Apply IAT to understand implicit attitudes toward social issues or causes.
• Evaluate narrative framing to maximize empathy, motivation, and call-to-action strength.
• Test message clarity and urgency to reduce cognitive barriers and improve recall.
• Refine design and storytelling for higher engagement across digital and offline channels.

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What’s an Example of Neuromarketing Software?

With brands like Meta, Coca-Cola, and Google applying neuroscience to improve advertising, branding, and customer experience, the next question is: how can other teams do the same?

Neuromarketing software provides access to the same predictive insights used by the world’s most effective campaigns. These platforms combine neuroscience techniques—such as EEG, eye-tracking, and AI modeling—to measure attention, emotional engagement, and memory response before a campaign goes live.

Neurons is a leading neuromarketing software solution built to help brands test creatives, optimize messaging, and decode real human reactions at scale. Whether validating ad performance or refining product design, Neurons gives teams the data to create content that truly resonates.