Advertisements: We see them all day, every day. We sleep in them, we shower with them, we eat them, and we see them. How many product labels do you see from the time you get up in the morning to the time you get out of the shower? A lot. Charmin, Pantene, Lady Speed Stick, Colgate, Maybelline.. the list goes on. Next, it is time to get dressed. Should I wear Hollister, Forever 21, or Charles River today? Breakfast will be Kelloggs and Florida’s Natural. Then, I’ll get in my Chevy and listen to Sirius and the Foreman Mills Traffic Report of the day.
This is all before I make it to work! People are absolutely submerged in advertisements, and there is not one time in your day that you aren’t branded. From your shower, your morning commute, and your lunch — you are surrounded by big businesses and their advertisements. So much so that mass media analysts are calling our experience “like a fish noticing water.” Fish notice water as much as we notice air – we don’t. We expect air to be there for us to breathe. Likewise, fish expect water to be there. What would happen if there was no air to breathe, or there was no more environment for the fish?
Well, obviously we would die. But what if there were no advertisements? We talked about this phenomenon in class (yes, Cultural Aspects of the Mass Media). Where can we go that there are no advertisements, logos, or any type of brand experience? There is one place where the class decided there is no ads – NO WHERE.
However, I brought up the point of NATURE. You know, that green stuff that you walk around in? That stuff that supplies all the stuff for the stuff you buy? If I were to go ocean kayaking, hiking, or participate in any other activity, the only ads we would see is the tags on the clothing that we’re wearing. I think that it’s funny that our only non-branded experience is with the trees, water, and mountains. Why are we destroying these things, including water for aquatic life, in order to make room retail stores, televisions, and billboards? For more advertisements.
Abbey Dufoe 