-Reviewing some of the negative aspects of advertising, from a Marxist left-wing opinion, whereupon advertising is seen as a "negative force".
-We looked at an image of Times Square, New York- perhaps the "ultimate showcase" in terms of advertising- and a true example of how impossible it is to avoid avderitisements in modern day. These images, "instructions" put before us "promise" fantasies and an enriched life with these products, persuading us that we should be unhappy with ourselves, and our lives, without them.
-The influence of advertising is impossible to deny, and is infact the most influentual design medium in the western world today. Twenty-five million new advertisements are created every year in Britain alone.
-Advertising is now an intergrated part of our lives. Shop window adverts, computer pop-ups, banners, big business- consumer adverts, they trade on the promise of a better life through consumerism and status within society.
-Karl Marx (1818-1883) was a philosopher, economist, political theorist, writer of the communist manifesto and analysed capitalism and class structure and the dominated classes.
It is from Marx that the left-wing views on advertising developed, with views of corrupt meaning and messages, and the lack of identity that advertising can promote.
Critique of consumer/commodity culture
-In commodity culture we construct our identities through the consumer products that inhabit our lives. This is what Stewart Ewen (another Marxist theorist) terms 'the commodity self' (selling ourselves to commodities and materalistic values).
-Judith Williamson, author of 'Decoding Advertisements':
"Instead of being identified by what they produce, people identify themselves through what they consume" (Williamson, 1991 13)- we now live in a society where we constuct our identities not by our unique and individual personalities, but by what we consume, what we purchase, what we own. The people we think we need to be are projected through advertising- becoming better through consumption.
-As time changes through advertising we can see a distinct shift. Once, it was purely the product that was trying to be sold (the commodity), but now, more so, it's "the dream", an idyllic view of how your life could be enriched with this product- which many critics view as saying "if you don't have this product, you are a lesser being". This was evident from as early as the late nineteenth century, and is still true two hundred years on.
Symbolic Association
-Advertising largely plays upon symbolic associations, and the CK One advertisements were a clear example of this- symbolically associating itself with model's glamour, youthful beauty, sexual sophistication, multi-racial androgony, trend, style, fashion and the "unisex" fragrance being reflected as a casual view on twenty-first century sexuality- the product is suitable for all, no matter who you are.
-Marxist and left-wing opinions are that we don't need this forty pound bottle of perfumed water to gain these things, or to aspire to be this- the products create false needs, we can be happy in ourselves and lives without it.
However, despite the negative arguements that advertising can arouse, if we didn't have advertisements, commodity culture would soon dwindle, seriously affecting economy and stabilisation of finances.
How does commodity culture perpetuate false needs?
-Aesthetic innovation- fashion trades off making something look desirable- looking "sexier", better than before. Over a long time this become sub-concious habit- the need to consume and buy more "stuff", not because we particularly need it, but because we want it.
-planned obsolescence- companies know the exact time when to release a new product- despite having the technological capabilities, they won't always use them at once, so as they can stilt the release of products regularly, always "improved" and also not as resiliant and strong as they could be- therefore, you will need to buy more, to replace or repair, however, when products are glamourisied in advertising, we forget about this, and cannot resist the product.
-novelty- the feeling that if you don't have something, then you won't belong- anything that appears "newer" demands a "need" for more- always the latest product, the new version, the upgrade- found in cases with brands such as Apple- your first series release of the iPhone still works perfectly fine, but the iPhone4 promises something new and glamourous that you apparently "need" in your life.
Commodity Fetishism
Fetishim: Object used to conduct a relationship through humanising.
-Basically, avdetising conceals the background 'history' of products, in other words, the context in which a product is produced is kept hidden (e.g. the fact that Nike trainers are now known to be sewn by women and children in LEDC's such as India and Indonesia for slave wages- yet we see it perfectly feesable to spend £60 on the finished product, purely to gain the social status that the trainer promises, thanks to glamourous advertising).
Reification
-Products are given human associations- whereupon "things" start to appear human.
-products themselves are percieved as sexy, romantic, cool, sophisticated, fun, etc.
-when people have the qualities of objects e.g. "emo's"- sub-cultural commodities- almost simplifying into stereotypes, and objects become more personified and human.
-Frankfurt School (set up 1923)
-Herbert Marcuse author of One Dimensional Man (1964)- Marxist thinker, very critical of commodity culture- thinking that it manipulates us, makes us think two-dimensionally.
-John Berger wrote 'Ways of Seeing', in which was written his opinions of the mass-commersialism and consumerism that advertising promotes:
-Advertising makes you envy people-makes you want to be glamourous and competitive.
-Advertising trades on the need of belonging- you need to form a superficial identity whilst enriching your life, where you make yourself poorer, you infact makes the big businesses even richer.
-In modern day, we are too focused on aesthetics, how we appear- not who we actually are. The role of the model in contemporary culture is like the rold of an Ancient Godess, with an unattainable idea of perfection.
-In the past, art and culture was used to show off status, and now it's available for all as a commodity, not just the elite.
-economy- benefits: it keeps us spending, then keeps capitalism working, encouraging business and growth.
-subsidizing the media quality: produced many radical innovations in designs arnd campaigns- such as Guiness, a brand identity has been formed through advertising.
-sterotyping: challeneges stereotyping, but also perpetuates myths and negative stereotypes.
Advertising:
-It seeks to make people unhappy with exisiting material possesions.
-It 'potenitally' manipulates people into buying products that they don't really need and don't really want.
-It encourages addictive, obsessive and acquisitive behaviour.
-it disorts the langauge and encourages bad useage and incorrect spelling- it's communication limits the way in which people talk to one another.
-it encourages consumers, especially children to want products and brands that they cannot afford, causing feelings of inadequacy and envy.
-It uses images that encourages us to buy products and brands that have the potential to be unhealthy.
-It encourages unnecessary production, therefore depleting resources and spoiling the environment.
Summary
-Karl Marx- Marxist analysis used to critique advertising- e.g, John Berger's 'Ways of Seeing'.
-Commodity Culture.
-Commodity Fetishism (history of the product is diguised by advertising).
-Reification- Human qualities given to objects.
