Advertising- The most influential design media in the western world. In 90's estimate there are 11,000 ads every year, and an estimated 25 million different print ads in Britain every year. We cant get away from adverts.
John Berger- We are bombarded by images, promised fantasies, promised better lives which makes us unhappy with our current lives.
Marxism analysed capitalism, nothing specifically about advertising. Karl Marx 1818- 1883.
Ads demand we buy something to gain status in society. Buying clothes etc. for social status e.g. School uniform is a symbol of equality.
'The Stanley range' ad shows just the product, which shows it is sold on its own merit- the virtues of commodities. Commodities- thing that is designed to be sold.
We use commodities to express ourselves, or are we expressing an ideal of ourselves presented to us by the media?
Commodities are shortcuts to knowing who people are, they are a form of communication, we feel artificially closer to some people and further away from others.
Commodities- Idea of lifestyle, Cars and watches. Starbucks- pretending, superficial status. Apple- buying the status not the product.
What we buy is what we are, not our personality or skills etc. People don't measure themselves by what they do for the world but by what they own.
'The Uncle Sam range'- selling the dream with symbolic association, is this a lie?
Making something sexy and desirable- aesthetic innovation- becomes an addiction- addicted to consumption.
Anything that appears newer also creates false need- old products become inferior, companies know this and use it to sell more. They have the technology but produce less to promote the next.
The real nature of products is being hidden and disguised, this makes them seem more desirable.
Fetish- an object that is used to conduct a relationship through- using products, e.g. shoes to relate to people- dehumanises society.
Simplifying people into categories and stereotypes. Forget about the real nature of things- seems more magical.
In the past people (just the rich) used art and culture to show off status, now people use
commodities.
Advertisements also benefits the economy- encourages business growth.
Responsible of subsidising the media quality- creative and innovative graphic design- good at challenging stereotypes- good at perpetuating myths and bad stereotypes.
Ethics of ads are suspect- what can be marketed for children? Subjects- fast food, fizzy drinks... all harmful.
7% of our population owns 84% of our wealth- the ad and capitalism feed on that , the ad makes us poorer and them richer.
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