Attack on Ads

Earlier I talked about how ad campaigns can really make us feel bad for not buying. We don't necessarily try to look hard at slogans and decode, but if we do, it's amazing how much of a slap in the face they can be. Remember the old slogan of Folger's Coffee (which is not fair trade by the way)? "The best part of waking up, is Folgers in your cup!" Really? That's the best part of waking up? If that's the case then after my coffee I should go right back to bed. So what if our subconcious decoded that and told us "Hey, you didn't buy Folgers so you are worthless. Why even wake up?" I buy an off brand fair trade coffee. I'd say that a cup of coffee for me is pretty much needed to wake up but it's not why I wake up. I wake up for my family, friends, special causes, happiness from outdoors, adventure and learning.
What about "Got Milk?" and how that's turned into Got Everything? Everyone has tried to use that to sell their product thinking they are so clever and funny, but that's really what it translates into: Got Everything? Don't stop buying and going into debt until you do.
Hershey's has a new commercial out about smiling and candy bars. "There's a smile in every Hershey's bar." Really? I doubt the unfair working conditions of the unfairly traded chocolate doesn't put a smile behind it. Do you mean there's a smile of an executive of Hershey's in every bar?

The sad thing is we're conditioned to believe them and it's not entirely our fault. We do need to be educated though. We need to look at commercials with eyes of steel and not let it penetrate through us. If more people held this ground, there would be a lot less advertising. Stick to your guns!

Pick of the day: http://www.lovethatstuff.co.uk/graphics/neck03.jpg

Really neat necklace! I notice a lot of these products are from the UK. I guess because good ol' America isn't as concerned with fair trade? Though how can they be when they're busy coming up with new ad campaigns :)