Pop Media and Advertisements

Reece Frazier

1 March 2010

RD1

Pop Media and Advertisements

The world is filled with advertisements. Some are big, while others are not easily recognizable as “ads.” Walking down a subway will surely yield several wall-sized advertisements showing off the latest fashions, or the must have videogame of the year. The pen left on a writing platform in the grocery store is almost expected to exclaim the best pizza delivery place in the neighborhood. Household refrigerators are overrun with magnets featuring (arguably) the best personal injury attorney in the state. From obvious and conventional displays to everyday household items, advertisements fill our lives with useful information that is sure to come in handy at one time or another. [THESIS] Through various mediums, advertisements have a positive impact on lives by fueling the economy and providing the public with otherwise unobtainable information. [THESIS]

Advertising, in its purest form, is the promotion of a good, service, or idea through the idealizing of a given subject. The largest venue for advertising is the media – television, newspapers, magazines, etc. Other methods of advertising include t-shirts, balloons, magnets on cars, pens, and blimps. The methods of advertising have certainly evolved over the years taking on many unconventional forms. These alternate media for promotions will certainly continue to change, however their purpose will remain the same.

It is common knowledge that one of the primary reasons for advertising is to encourage an audience to buy things. Although this may seem rather self-indulgent on the part of companies touting their products, advertising informs consumers of a product’s features and benefits. The purpose of ads is to make a viewer want something. If an ad were to only display the negative aspects of a product or service it would not be effective in its purpose.

Opponents of advertising argue that ad spots on television and in print media exhibit unrealistic fantasies and do not fully inform consumers of the product or service displayed. In all honesty this is true. However this idea, as an argument against advertising, is slippery slope and biased. Essentially this viewpoint states that if ads don’t provide the audience with the negative aspects of the given subject they are effectively “bad.” This argument does not consider the purpose of advertising – to sell and to promote. An ad displaying solely the positive sides of a good or service is simply an ad.

By promoting good, and services, advertising is an excellent stimulator for the economy. The recent economic downturn had proved advertising to be invaluable. For example, Wal-Mart has used a series of television ads during this fiscal crisis to emphasize to viewers that shopping at Wal-Mart does indeed save money. The ads feature a wide variety of content, but throughout these ads is consistently the display of relatively large savings. These savings draw in many viewers to want to shop at Wal-Mart.

This, ultimately, supports the economy. Although these types of advertisements are remote in that it isn’t too common to see these types of ads in the media, this is an example of advertisements boosting the economy at the core. In a widespread sense, the promotion of goods and services, especially things that individuals or organizations can buy, is encouragement to spend. The push to buy stimulates the economy by increasing demand, job creation, etc.

There are many different types of other ads that serve purposes secondary to promoting consumer spending. Public service announcements are generally accepted as being advertisements with a message. These ads, seen in print, on the web, on television, and on the radio, usually convey a message that is important for most people to know.

The Hawaii Meth Project has provided ads for the public regarding the negative effects of the use of methamphetamines (meth). In general these ads are rather grim and feature a young adult becoming addicted on meth. The grim features of this ad make it very unappealing to viewers and ultimately keeps them away from meth. These ads are especially geared toward people who in a rural population, and are more prone to trying meth and becoming addicted to it. Without advertising, they would not be fully away of the possible negatives of meth.

Ads show both good and bad, but particularly highlight the message they are trying to get across. The purposes of ads are to convey a message especially that of the institution providing the ad. While ads may seem biased they are ultimately effective have a positive impact on society as a whole, particularly through increases in the economy as well as widening the availability of information.