To further explore the consequences of viewing one’s virtual doppelgänger, we ran a simple experiment using digitally manipulated photographs. We used imaging software to place participants’ heads on people depicted in billboards using fictitious brands, such as the example shown on the previous page. Sometime after the study, participants expressed a preference for the brand, even though they knew their faces had been placed in the advertisement. In other words, even though it was clearly a gimmick, using the digital self to promote a product is effective.
