Academic Source 7

Eric J. Arnould, et al. "Speaking of Art as Embodied Imagination: A Multisensory  Approach to Understanding Aesthetic Experience." Journal of Consumer Research 30.2 (2003): 259-282. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 7 Apr. 2011. In this article, Arnould and his peers argue that aesthetic experience is perceived at conscious and subconscious (sensory) levels: both working to manifest the conscious, rational interpretation of art. At first, a review of       aesthetic-experience literature is paired with the idea that advertising culture markets aesthetic experiences, (i.e., a lifestyle) rather than just the products they sell. With existential theory in  toe, the researchers use three multisensory (interactive) museum-exhibits to study subjects interacting with art. They find consumers responses to interactive material is a powerful “embodiment of imagination” that cannot be understood as simply a conscious cognitive process (Arnould et. al 262). This research may prove useful in relating the power of aesthetic experiences as   a marketing tool, and that the advertising industry is aware of this. However, I am doubtful of the need to do so, and I think this material may strain the focus of my essay.