We now have several definitions of the phenomenon of advertising in all its philosophical, socio-economic and psychological dimensions. We know that advertising has been a significant part of our economy and society for many centuries. Most have accepted the globally useful role played by the advertising industry in the consumer society, despite certain drawbacks. Others feel more than reticent about high-growth consumption as such, preferring reasoned development or low-growth scenarios. Be that as it may, since WWII and more particularly since the advent of the 1980s digital revolution coupled with the multiplication of media outlets, the resources and financial might of this informational tool have grown to such an extent that citizen, student and intellectual must now urgently examine where they stand today regarding the ugly face of the industry and its increasingly unacceptable practices throughout the capitalist world, in terms of ethics, ecology and culture.
While advertising remains a useful activity, surely people in the West can see the damage caused by the excessive volume and invasive practices of advertising, to the extent that it has come to resemble criminal practice, especially on the Internet. People's personal details are routinely hacked, stolen and sold to unscrupulous companies, while others robot-spam mail accounts by the million. Adware pop-ups and pop-unders proliferate on the web to such an extent that they will slow down or block all use of a computer. The web experience can indeed elicit a sobering reflexion on the role that advertising plays in our lives today and this cannot be an intelligent, citizen-friendly or even consumer-friendly role for the persuasion industry.
Again, huge billboards contaminate a countryside drive and destroy many town approaches. An unthinking Americanisation of minds has dragged architecture and town planning down to a new low in terms of urban architecture and street furniture. No one complains. Have the French, for example (note that this is written from France), taken leave of their senses and abandoned their superior taste ? The architectural uglification of many newer suburbs, outer town areas and especially major roadsides and motorways has become a national embarassment. It is no excuse to say that the situation in the USA or Australia, for example, is just as bad or worse.
Work and reflexion must be carried out on the surplus of volume and the increasingly dangerous ubiquity of advertising in our societies. As with the recent financial and banking crisis, there is a definite need for serious regulation of the industry by governments and in the near future, by international bodies. Otherwise, tomorrow will become a brave, new, moronic world...
At the moment however, we must examine the reason why advertising permeates to such an extent the collective unconscious throughout the 'developed' world. Aside from the obvious macro-historical, economic and ideological reasons which have been examined elsewhere, it seems urgent to understand why the micro-effects of the advertising message do in fact function. This aspect has been less examined.
In brief, advertising's power is derived from :
A. (pre-existent)
- human gregariousness (desire to communicate with others)
- human behaviour (egotism, ignorance, greed...)
- historical, linguistic and cultural references (the national framework)
- accepted dominant ideology (at present, American, the global framework)
- capitalistic motivation (profit first)
- industrial clout (as lobby and economic locomotive)
- exploitation of language, symbols and images to an end
- exploitation of basic human urges (survival, sex, community)
- exploitation of technology to hide/show messages
- high volume of dissemination (propaganda)
- lack of intelligent dissidence in society (conformism)
Can more be added to this list ? Let me know if so. More soon.
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