Is advertising to blame?

By Gus Bode

Advertising products to those who can’t afford them and targeting inner city youth with glossy billboards filled with vodka and cigarette advertising are issues that we must face in this society due to advertisers.

Studying advertising as an undergraduate student has opened my eyes to the ignorance that was once adorned. Advertisers are trained to persuade and manipulate through the power of creative headlines, catchy slogans, famous spokesmen and our own insecurities. Many advertisers choose to take psychology courses to learn the human psyche and then use the knowledge toward the consumer.

The reality is that we live in a capitalist society that preys on those insecurities for the good of profit alone and not for the good of the people. It was stated in a recent advertising course that Phillip Morris spends $115 million dollars on charities but $150 million on promoting their charitable actions. Do they really care about those people they are helping, or are they trying to save the face of the company?

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The previously stated numbers can answer that. But is advertising really to blame for poor money management and youth who choose to smoke or drink?

I say yes, for Fortune 500 companies would not spend millions on researching the consumer if there were not a profit to be made. Not having the knowledge about the companies that manipulate many uneducated communities is also to blame.

I subscribe to Vibe magazine, which is targeted to black young adults who are interested in music and fashion. The advertisers that support the magazine consist of everything from Dolce & Gabana to Versace.

Can the majority of the people who read Vibe afford a pair of jeans valued at $225? Probably not. It is a disservice to our community and many like ours around the world.

India and China are new and booming markets that cigarette and many advertisers are hitting the hardest. All television advertisements promoting cigarettes have been outlawed across the United States because of its proven ability to attract consumers, young and old. Yet American companies are taking advantage of foreign policies and marketing products that they know are dangerous to the health of the consumer for profit making purposes.

India is one of the most populous countries in the world that has recently been untapped. Deodorant, toothpaste and electronics are items that meant nothing to India until marketers touched down. Many may think that modern innovation will improve the economy of Third World nations, but that is not the case.

When products are being imported and not exported, that surely does not help their economy, and the savings that many Indians may have been saving for education now may go to the new color television set that they MUST have.

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Knowing the ills of advertising has caused me to take another look at my future endeavors in the profession I oppose so strongly. My goal is to inform the uninformed about issues that some may wish to ignore because it may not put the mighty dollar in their account. We must be educated about the manipulation and persuasion that we face daily on television screens, the pages of newspapers and even bathroom stalls.

So, the next time you are made to feel inadequate about not having shiny hair without any split ends in sight or facing that girl without that new gum in your mouth, think again. LOOK OUT, for they are not trying to look out for the good of your new fresh smile, but rather the cold cash that is coming to their company.

Stand up and say something now appears every Monday. Tifair is a senior in advertising. Her views do not necessarily reflect those of the Daily Egyptian.

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