According to Jean Kilbourne, an average American is exposed to 3000 ads everyday & spends 3 years of one’s life watching YV ads. Today she says, little girls rate super models high because of their perfect features & skins. Films & TV shows also carry hidden commercials. Products, brands are shown casually. Consumers are not aware that a lot of money is paid to these producers to display the brands.
These days, she says that kids don’t want to grow up to be athlete, scientists, etc. but want to be highly leveraged brands. Although advertisers say that ads simply reflect society, it is a medium of influence & persuasion & its influence is cumulative.
She also claims that advertising is not only our physical environment; it is increasing our spiritual environment as well. E.g.: Jesus is a brand of jeans “See the light” (an ad for wool), “an enlightening experience” & “absolute heaven” (power ad). Alcohol ads are with the bottles surrounded by a halo of light. Advertising co-opts our sacred symbols & sacred language to arouse our immediate emotional response.
Advertising & religion share a belief in transformation & transcendence. People believed that we can transform ourselves by hard work & transcend our circumstances. Today we can transform ourselves by all the material goods advertised & achieve transcendence. The focus of transformation has shifted from the soul to the mind. Jean Kilbourne says the influence of advertising goes beyond the target group.
The group that cannot afford & thus become envious even kill to get what they can’t buy.
Consumers feel that objects will transform their lives & give them social standing & respect. People who buy goods are buying an “Image” most brands are essentially the same but consumer buy because of the image reflected in their advertising. Liquor is not selling liquor but fantasies. A car is not selling convenience of travel but prestige. Thus advertising sells a great deal more than product. It sells values, images, love and success. Jean Kilbourne says advertising corrupts our language.
These days, she says that kids don’t want to grow up to be athlete, scientists, etc. but want to be highly leveraged brands. Although advertisers say that ads simply reflect society, it is a medium of influence & persuasion & its influence is cumulative.
She also claims that advertising is not only our physical environment; it is increasing our spiritual environment as well. E.g.: Jesus is a brand of jeans “See the light” (an ad for wool), “an enlightening experience” & “absolute heaven” (power ad). Alcohol ads are with the bottles surrounded by a halo of light. Advertising co-opts our sacred symbols & sacred language to arouse our immediate emotional response.
Advertising & religion share a belief in transformation & transcendence. People believed that we can transform ourselves by hard work & transcend our circumstances. Today we can transform ourselves by all the material goods advertised & achieve transcendence. The focus of transformation has shifted from the soul to the mind. Jean Kilbourne says the influence of advertising goes beyond the target group.
The group that cannot afford & thus become envious even kill to get what they can’t buy.
Consumers feel that objects will transform their lives & give them social standing & respect. People who buy goods are buying an “Image” most brands are essentially the same but consumer buy because of the image reflected in their advertising. Liquor is not selling liquor but fantasies. A car is not selling convenience of travel but prestige. Thus advertising sells a great deal more than product. It sells values, images, love and success. Jean Kilbourne says advertising corrupts our language.