Power of Suggestion

Driving home to NY after a family visit, Dave and I pass though what appears to be a loop:

McDonald's
Lowes
Perkins
Walmart
Liquor store
Perkins

We drive through this loop approximately every 3 miles, so if you missed Perkins strawberry pie 2 minutes ago, fear not!  You still have a chance.  If you forgot to get some vodka to chase your pie, just swing over to that fancy liquor store.  And if you still have 347 miles to go, well, McDonald's is advertising both coffee, AND Shrek chicken nuggets.

We pass something that looks to me like an outer space gas station, and Dave goes, "Ooooooh, Sonic."
Me: "What?"
Dave: "There's a Sonic."
Me: "A what?" 
(yes, I also ask him "What did they say??" during movies)
Dave: "A burger place.  They have really amazing burgers."
Me: "I have never even heard of Sonic."
Dave: "You've never heard of Sonic?"
Me: "No.  Good burgers?"
Dave: "Oh yeah."

We pass by the loop again.  Two more times.

Me: "When's the last time you had a Sonic burger?"
Dave: "Oh, I've never actually had one."
Me:
Dave: "What?"
Me: "You just told me they have really amazing burgers."
Dave: "Well they do."
Me: "And you know this how?"
Dave: "I just know."
Me: "From a friend?"
Dave: "Almost.  From the commercial."
Me: "Ah."

We pass through the loop another 3 times.

Me: "I'm getting hungry."
Dave: "Sonic burger?"
I don't mention that I have been thinking about strawberry pie for the last 30 miles.  Though Shrek nuggets still sound foul, the pie urge gets stronger with every Perkins board we pass.

The next day, while listening to NPR (a friend of mine always prefaces this statement with "While sipping Chardonnay, driving my Prius and ...listening to NPR,")
So without Chardonnay and without an electric car, I was listening to an interview with: a Food Stylist. 
Someone whose job is to dress up food for photographs, commercials, and films. 
The Food Stylist described combing through 100 rolls, throwing all of them out until finding the PERFECT roll in which to shoot a burger.  And then, Elmer-gluing extra sesame seeds onto it, before glossing the burger with oil and adding extra grill marks on it. 

I know we are susceptible to ads in different ways.  For Dave, it's the luscious look of a Sonic burger.  For me, I will get a jingle or slogan stuck in my mind and cannot, for the life of me, shake it out.  Like this one: VERY BERRY. 


VERY BERRY VERY BERRY VERY BERRY.
Limited time only.