Everyday in our popular culture we are bombarded with ideals of the perfect body, the best clothes and the best cars. We're also attacked with information on how to obtain all of these desirable materials and images.
Of course, this is no secret. It's the marketing industry's capital philosophy.
However, this is not about the interests of mainstream culture or the subliminal messages we encounter each day in our society dominated by marketing. Most of us know these potentially dangerous images and messages exist - but do we know how to deal with them?
First of all, by recognizing that advertisements have the potential to be dangerous, you can put yourself on the offense instead of the defense. It's the job of most advertisers to target people without remorse, and many are successful in their agendas, but why let that affect you in negative ways?
Although they can sometimes be annoying and tasteless, ads are fairly easy to dismiss and even enjoy. Work to eliminate the intrusiveness of advertisement in your daily life. If you watch television, mute the commercials or rent a video instead. If you listen to radio, make yourself a compilation CD or turn down the volume during commercial breaks. If you pass billboards often, try looking at them as art rather than as marketing ploys. The more you recognize the power of advertisement, the more power you give advertisers to recognize you. That is when you become a target. This works both ways. While we respond to advertisements, advertisers are responding to our interests and investments.
Also, keep in mind that our society today is much more responsive to celebrity images than political or educational images.
It's highly likely that while searching for your own identity in college - or beyond - you will be influenced by famous people who drink Coke and wear Calvin Klein.
Products and name brands are not bad things and neither are famous role models, but if you find these things make you feel unattractive or inadequate, you might want to explore different images. In a capitalist society, trying to be someone you are not can lead to low self-esteem, misconceptions about the importance of attractiveness and susceptibility to advertisements - not to mention an empty wallet.
However, this does not make marketing agencies responsible for how you look and feel. It is almost impossible to avoid marketing when you live in our culture, so make it work for you. Realize you have ultimate control over what influences you. Look for the positive aspects of advertisements and dismiss the negative ones. Find the humor and absurdity of certain ads or find comfort in the popularity of others. While advertisements might come across as offensive and insulting, the actual people behind marketing are all part of an ambitious creative force that is a vital part of our society. The people on the marketing industry's payroll include the good, the bad and the ugly - just like anywhere else.
So when you start to feel intimidated by that glossy image staring at you from the checkout line, don't waste your energy taking it seriously. Give advertisements and marketing a break -ยก- and give yourself a break while you're at it.
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