Advertising certainly influences me! I conciously avoid anything that is regularly advertised, on the basis that a large portion of the purchase-price is used for promotion.
I bought up my kids to understand that ,above an economic price-point, dictated by manufacturing-cost, any higher price was likely to be due to marketing, appealing to their vanity or insecurities, than product-value....
£120 trainers, with a famous logo? or £30 trainers, similar quality and enough change to buy a coat as well.
Similarly, it was established there was no magic money-bush in the back yard...you want it ? -you earn it!
Now have 3 shrewd adult offspring who question the validity of all advertising.