Are we slaves to advertising?

In my opinion there will always be a need for advertising in today`s world due to the high demand to have new products and make money. We need advertising to fuel the economy and without it, I don’t think we could survive the same.  People in today`s society tend to live above their means in order to fulfill their wants and not necessarily their needs. For instance if I was to buy a new car even though I would have to take a loan out to get it when instead  I could spend my money on things I actually need to live like food. I wouldn't want to live in a world without the media industry and if advertising didn't exist there would be no funds for the media industry to build upon. With the influx of a range of more products it leads to a rise in advertising as advertising companies need to compete with each other in order to sell their product. The more variety of products means the decrease in prices which increases consumption.  The more we consume the better our economy will be in my opinion.

Although we seem to have a healthy economy, is it really healthy to play on people`s emotions and desires in order for them to consume products?  Advertisers need people to feel connected to their product in order for it to sell which makes me question how much freedom I have when it comes to the products I buy. Every day I will be confronted by some form of advertising and I tend to ignore most of it but every now and again I will buy a product simply due to the way it was advertised. McStay sums up this idea by stating “The idea is that we consume what objects stand for rather than the objects themselves and their product function” (McStay, 2009:429).

It`s an interesting concept that people could be slaves to certain brands. For example I only wear bare mineral`s make up because it has been advertised as being better for your skin when I could have a cheaper product that could potentially have the same benefits. How do I know that what is being advertised is actually the truth? What small print have I missed because it was too much work to look for it? Is advertising acting as a solid foundation in order for our economy to grow or is it simply a brain washing machine that is defining us more by the things we have than the people we are?

A prime example of an advert that plays on people`s desires is the no.7 make up advert. The advertisement depicts a variety of women all different ages, sizes and ethnicity smiling after they have put on no.7 make up. Jessie J`s song sexy lady is playing in the background to make the advert seem culturally relevant and has the message that you will feel like an empowered, sexy woman if you wear this make up. It shows that no matter what size, age or background you have, you can be happy and desired if you buy this product which is something they cannot guarantee.

References

Boots, (6/8/2013). No 7 Make Up TV Advert Featuring Jessie J`s New Track Sexy Lady, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWL5RocbFwE&noredirect=1&hd=1 . Accessed 1/4/2014.

Baudrillard, J. (1988) Simulacra and Simulations, In M. Poster (ed.) Jean Baudrillard: Selected Writings, Cambridge: Polity.

McStay, A. (2009) Consumer Society and Advertising, in Long, P.; Wall, T; Bakir, V. & McStay, A. Media Studies: Texts, Production and Context. London: Pearson Education.

Nationhood

Being born in Australia and having British parents allows me the opportunity to connect with both countries sense of nationalism. Although I feel a connection with both countries, I do not feel completely defined by either.  A sense of nationalism or loyalty to where you come from is a feeling which you can have for any country despite where you were geographically born which creates a great sense of freedom.

“In fact all communities larger than primordial villages of face-to-face contact (and perhaps even these) are imagined.” (Anderson, 2006:4). Anderson s reading about imagined communities was interesting but would have been more powerful without the huge amount of historical background. I understand that he had to write about the past in order to get his point across but in my opinion, it made the reading tedious. The fact you don’t personally know everyone in your own country doesn't make the bond for your country any less powerful.

Nationalism is so powerful that people are willing to die in wars for the pride of their country without actually knowing everyone in their country. I always considered nationalism as a notion to celebrate and to feel a sense of pride and love for your community but this can also have negative effects.  For example when our national holiday “Australia Day” was changed to “Citizens Day” in order to not exclude any foreigners from the celebrations, people started to riot.  This illustrates how much nationalism changes over time with the increase of immigration which some Australians perceive as a threat to their culture. As a foreigner in the United Kingdom I believe this idea to be ridiculous as we should all embrace different cultures.

 The way in which Australia is represented in our own country is very different to how we are represented to other countries. When advertising Australia to other countries Australian males tend to be depicted as masculine while Australian women tend to be seen as simply sexual objects. For instance the Fosters adverts where the British males ask questions to the Australian males while the Australian women simply stand there in their swim wear looking pretty.  We seem to be outward looking making constructs about our own nation in comparison to other countries. For example the Paul Hogan advertisement in 1984 to entice Americans to move to Australia was full of stereotypes. They used dissimilisation in order to make it seem like a better way of life. The advert paid special attention to how amazing our weather was in comparison to other countries and even our dialect was over exaggerated with greetings such as “G`day”. Paul Hogan also states “Course we talk the same language although you lot do have a funny accent” which again reinforces the differences between America and Australia.

Nationhood is heavily linked to the media and can reinforce how we see ourselves as a nation. For example even Santa is portrayed differently in Australia. Instead of having the traditional red and white coat and trousers, our Santa wears a white vest top, shorts, and a pair of thongs and is holding a can of beer on the beach. Despite all the stereotypical media surrounding Australia, I’m still very proud to have been born there.

References

Anderson, B. (2006) Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origins and Spread of Nationalism. London: Verso.

CrossMediaOwnership, (28/5/2009) Paul Hogan Ad 1984. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn_CPrCS8gs&hd=1. Accessed 1/4/2014.

Hall, S. (1996) Questions of Cultural Identity. London: Sage.

Yeospec, Good Call! Foster`s TV Ad Leaner ft. Brad and Dan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4AvLnt3P6Q Accessed 1/4/2014.

How much control over our privacy do we really have?

I found this week’s reading on privacy extremely insightful.  After reading the chapter on “Artificial barriers” by Andrew McStay I found myself wondering how much information I share willingly with the world of the web in order to widen my communication with others. It poses the question of how much control do we really have over our information as individuals or is our control just a misconception. For example when I signed up to Facebook I had to give a certain amount of personal information in order to use the site like my name, age and my friends. The idea we swap privacy for prizes was a very true concept. Even when you sign up to an online clothing store you have to give them your address and card details in order to make the purchase. Therefore you’re giving away your privacy in order to obtain a prize being the clothing you purchased.  The positives about social media sites is it’s a free and accessible way in order for myself to communicate with my friends and family who live overseas but I have to give away part of my privacy in order to have that privilege.  

 It is a frightening concept to believe we are all being sectioned into certain categories for advertising purposes.  Although I find the advertising recommendations useful, it still feels like I have no control over what is being presented to me. For instance if I’m trying to save money but constantly get bombarded with advertisements for items I made want but don’t need its more likely I will cave in and buy the product.

“The internet is an open structure and by logging-on we potentially expose ourselves and our data traces to the entire world.” (McStay, 2011:71).  I understand that as a society our data needs to be monitored for security reasons and for that purpose I find it comforting to know that we are being observed but it raises the issue of how much control the government can have over our personal information. Also if this progresses what boundaries as individuals do we have left.

The study conducted by Michal Kosinski and David Stillwell about behavioural advertising was a simple but effective way to demonstrate how much control advertisers have. I was shocked that they could gather an individual’s sexuality, age and even race just by the things they liked on Facebook.  It’s interesting to think that advertisers know what you would like before you do. In a negative way I feel as though I’m being brainwashed into buying products and if they didn't

have any trace of my personal information on the web I could think more freely. On the other hand, advertisements are everywhere in daily life so would I truly be free or simply free from the online world?

References

Lawyersdotcom. (22 /03/2012) Privacy Issues on Facebook are here to Stay, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPaHMtkfFSA&hd=1. Accessed 31/03/2014.

McStay, A. (2011) The Mood of Information, New York: Continuum. Chapter 4.

Stillwell, D; Kosinski, M.  ( 11/03/2013) Private Traits and Attributes are Predictable from Digital Records of Human Behaviour, Cambridge Psychometrics Centre.

Vattimo, G. (1992) The Transparent Society, Cambridge: Polity Press.