Materialistic values are values that deal with possession. It deals that as people we want things that we can touch and feel like shoes and furniture. (2) Advertising is everywhere and many people would agree that it promotes materialistic values. I would have to say that I also agree advertising promotes materialistic values. Advertising contributes to a sense of wants and needs of items. For instance, when you are exposed to store ads and billboard the particular item portrays this luxurious lifestyle or ideal world.
Most people can relate to this feeling. According to George Zinkhan, as a society, we are no longer involved on what we need but what products we want to have. (2) Everyone is familiar with the saying “money can’t buy happiness” well advertisements lead you to believe otherwise. Buying into a brand gives you a sense of belonging and a misinformed judgment. For example it creates the illusion you are like the woman in the poster and your life is perfect, fueling the fire of materialism. (1)
Advertising Does Not Promote Materialistic Values Although some people would agree advertising promotes materialistic values, others would say all the commotion over advertising is because of the social aspect. (2) Throughout advertising history, a focus has been given to selling products with a promise of social acceptance, because not being accepted socially is a major individual fear for most people. (3) For example, Axe body spray ads. These advertisements insinuate the social acceptance from women to men.
The Term Paper on Should advertising influence people by giving information?
Should advertising influence people by giving information? Discursive Essay Final draft Kosherbek Azamat, ID 20120676 Academic Reading and Writing GEN 1120 Instructor (Gulnar Zagitova) 26 September 2012 Discursive Essay Outline Student’s name: Azamat Kosherbek Essay question: Should advertising influence people by giving information? I. Introduction Thesis statement: Although, some advertisements ...
If a guy uses this body spray, women will want to be around him. 2. Advertising Contributes to Socially unacceptable behavior (sex, drinking, disrespect) In my opinion advertising may have a small impact on unacceptable behavior, especially for teenagers. One reason advertisements may influence teenagers to unacceptable behavior is because they do not understand the actual message of the advertisement. For example, teens and underage drinking. Being exposed to ads about alcohol and social acceptance can create curiosity about alcohol.
“Minors who were familiar with television alcohol advertisements were more likely to have tried alcoholic beverages and binge drink than those who could not recall seeing such ads,” according to the Pediatric Academic Societies. TV commercials can portray an image of social acceptance and a relaxed allusion from drinking. Therefore, this could lead to underage drinking or drinking too much until the feeling of satisfaction is accomplished. (4) Another example of unacceptable behavior associated with advertising is violence.
“In one particular study, the researchers found that children watching a violent ad had more aggressive thoughts than those who did not watch the violent ad,” says advertising professor Nora Rifon. (5) Both of these can be connected to being socially accepted in society. The drinking ad may send a message to a teenager as ‘looking cool’ or older. The violence associated with an advertisement may come off as being a hero, or again ‘looking cool’ to friends and love interest. To young children and teenagers their main concern is to be accepted. Therefore they are completely blinded by the real message of the advertisement.
