When Brands Seem Human, Do Humans Act Like Brands?

When Brands Seem Human, Do Humans Act Like Brands? Automatic Behavioral Priming Effects of Brand Anthropomorphism
P Aggarwal, AL McGill - Journal of consumer research, 2011 

Anthropomorphism 

Anthropomorphism is the attribution of uniquely human characteristics and features to nonhuman creatures and be- ings, natural and supernatural phenomena, material states or objects, and even abstract concepts (Epley, Waytz, and Ca- cioppo 2007). 

For example, prod- ucts have often been given humanlike characteristics to make them more distinctive and memorable and to make them more endearing and likeable.

Similarly, brands are known to have distinctive humanlike personality traits (Aaker 1997).

In fact, brand managers often encourage this phenomenon of anthropomorphizing by creating brand characters, mas- cots, and spokespeople such as the Pillsbury Doughboy, the Green Giant, Tony the Tiger, or the more contemporary Geico Gecko.

Brands are given faces and names, and they are endowed with human emotions. Brand names are some- times chosen to conjure up imagery of real people (e.g., Mr. Kleen or Mrs. Fields), and brand communication often in- volves using first-person language as if the brand were talk- ing directly to the consumers as people do.