Hi all, first time post
First of all thanks everyone I've talked to for being so interesting. I really like this community and hope to stick around!
I've searched around, and found some forum threads relating to advertising a specific product, but not a general conspiracy regarding advertising and
marketing. Sorry if I'm wrong, no disrespect to any OP that may have had the same idea.
Of course, it's no secret that advertising is everywhere. It's in our homes, our cars, our place of work. It's in the music we listen to and the
movies we watch. It's flooded the internet and invades our computers. It comes over the radio and tv's. It is massively prevalent in todays
society.
So when is enough going to be enough?
For me it was about ten years ago, just before viral videos came out. Around 1999/2000 was my maximum saturation point for advertising. I was at
least receptive to their ideas.
Flash forward to today and it seems the dial has been turned up to 11. The amount of advertising has multiplied greatly, and the methods used to
market a product have reached a very underhanded level. I feel like I'm being lied to every time I turn on the TV (well, I know I'm being lied to -
after all that's what tv does these days).
I greet new products with disdain, knowing the level of marketing that each and every product that is released today goes thru. The soulless focus
groups. The endless meetings conducted by people who feel it is necessary to promote an "image or idea" rather then just telling the truth.
Now for a conspiracy part:
I'm not expressing that any one group or person has decided to crank up the advertising level and invade every moment of our lives (Although
technically it would be possible, but without hard evidence it would be pointless to claim), possibly with a harmful agenda.
I'm thinking that it's a sub-conscious 'push' by all of us (them marketing, us accepting) specifically in relation and reaction to the current
world events and worries. All this pressure goes into a person and it has to come out somewhere. Gratification and fantasy are easy outlets. Both
are what advertisers sell today. It's just the same as a woman getting her hair done after a relationship break up. Crisis invokes gratification.
Just realized how bad that example sounds
Sorry if I offended anyone with my astute over simplification of women! If it helps, I'm getting over
a break up myself and the first thing I did was get a hair cut. And I'm a guy.
But I digress
It's kind of a hard feeling to express, maybe it's just enough when weighted with all the other worries people have at the moment. Maybe enough to
make people seek new ways in satisfying their person. An marketer can sell a product, as an idea, and a lie at the same time:
"Buy this shoe (product) and you can play basketball (idea) and you'll be cool (lie)"
Buying that shoe to the right person could be like triple gratification. They get the product, the idea and the lie all at the same time. Sweet
deal!
Mentally I believe the effects are akin to living in not a heightened state of awareness, (like the effect the war on terror has) but more a
heightened state of possibility, where the act of gratification is so easy to achieve, it results in the person taking the easiest way out and
fulfilling their desires. In doing so, the person willingly believes lie after lie, and after awhile - who would want to speak out against their govt
when it gives them pie? Basically it lets people not grow a spine and blurs their eyes to real issues.
Btw, I'm referring to advertising in ALL it's disguises, it effects philosophy, education, science, ... everything.
So anyway - "The society we live in today is allowing itself to be lied to and invaded by advertising and marketing, and that effect is detrimental
to the human person" - guess that sums up my feelings. Anyone else? Anyone think the opposite? look forward to hearing!