Do advertisements influence/ persuade you into buying a certain product?

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Most of the companies rely on advertising to market their products to the people. They spend thousands, if not millions of dollars just to get the public's attention, pursuade them into buying their products and tell them that they are far better than their competitors. For example, one toothbrush brand is claiming it cleans better than the other brand because it has "rotating powerhead and criss-cross bristles" (which I wonder if those features are really needed to clean better). Other brands blatantly ridicule their competitors, e.g. drugs/medicines, fastfood chains, fitness equipments, even PC and Mac! Personally, how much do advertisements (be it on TV, radio, print, billboards, internet, etc.), influence or affect your buying decisions? How about when it comes to new products? Do you try them because the ads were impressive? Do share your thoughts.:p