What about the sneakier ways of advertising? Companies sometimes pay people to write reviews, even if they aren't an influencer. This is because it looks like a "normal person" wrote it, so other people will be more likely to trust it.

You might hear some and not know it, there is a lot of noise in a lot of places. Free samples are also a form of advertising, as the company is paying for them to be given out. It might even be a little sticker on a box of something that you already buy. Grocery flyers are a form of advertising. Someone you know may be advertised to and love the product and recommend it. In that scenario, advertising to them would also affect you, even if you didn't see or hear an ad. Scary stuff sometimes.

The easiest way to fall for it is to believe you are immune. Believing that you are immune to propaganda usually just eventually leads to letting more things slide. The only way to be sure is to be vigilant. Even then, it's an odds game.

You only buy the knockoff because your income is constrained. If your income was higher, you would be buying the brand that was advertised to you. Knockoffs are inferior goods, which is a Economics term for something that you buy less of when you have more money.

The ad worked on you because you want that type of item instead of something completely different. For example, an iPhone ad will not just advertise Apple but also smartphones in general. When you see the ad, you are enticed to buy an iPhone instead of an Android. But also you are enticed to buy smartphones in general, instead of a snowmobile. This is called "mindshare" and it is something large companies spend billions on.

Everyone knows Coca Cola exists but they still advertise to remind you. They want you to be thirsty, specifically for Coke, but just generally too.