Advertisements Reflect the Way We Really Are

Advertisements Reflect What We Really Are Aristotle, a great philosopher said that all humans are social by nature. And he’s proven right. Humankind had formed societies from the ancient times in order to survive, and these societies as time went by evolved to the society we live in today. A society that is competitive, materialistic and demanding. A society that accepts us only if we are beautiful, have a high position in a big company and drive a nice, shiny car. Of course this reality is perfectly illustrated through advertisements. It takes only a couple of minutes and channel changes on your television for you to be showered by advertisements of new car models or anti-aging superpower creams. And here rises the big question: Is this kind of advertising that shapes the stereotypes and the expectations of society or the other way around? Although some psychologists and marketing experts may claim that in order to attract consumers, advertisements use non-ethical and subliminal methods that promote stereotypes, advertising in reality is the reflection of our society’s beliefs, expectations, and value system. To begin with the first point lets just go through some numbers. Television ads that are showed during the TV show «Mad Men» include brands like Apple, Audi and Microsoft. The question is why? According to a research made by Mindset Media «creative people are 41% more likely to watch «Mad Men» than less creative people» (Bulik 2). This demonstrates that people who are going to watch this certain show have in common some personality traits. These traits are exactly the ones that are going to determine what product they will buy. As a result it is safe to conclude that advertisements reflect the consumer’s needs, in this case for example an Apple advertisement will reflect the need of a person to be stylish and creative. In today’s society, it is essential for a person to be involved with technology. In respond to that, it is absolutely natural

Cited: Bulik, Beth Snyder. «You Are What You Watch, Market Data Sugges.t» York , Pa. November 01, 2010. Print. Kiesel, Diane. «Subliminal Seduction.» American Bar Association Journal 70 (1984) 25-27. Print. Holbrook Morris B. «Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall. What’s Unfair in the Reflactions on Advertising?.» The Journal of Marketing, 51.3 (1987): 95-103. Print.