Dr Paul Allen

The most effective advertisements tap into our deepest insecurities. Selling consumer goods is like hotwiring a car: when an ad connects an insecurity to a felt need, sales spark. We will buy if marketers can persuade us that their products will alleviate our fears, and make us more appealing in the eyes of others. It’s a brilliant marketing model born in the 1920s. During that roaring decade, a bustling new economy drove the advertising revolution. Between 1923 and 1929, consumable spending shot up 25% in the States. With new cash stimulating the market, more and more products competitively grabbed for the attention (and wallets) of new consumers, who now found themselves increasingly migrating from rural life into cities. With the booming cashflow, specialized ad agencies put together persuasive ad campaigns from major metropolitan centers. The story of this advertising revolution is told by Tim Wu , a professor at Columbia Law School , in his excellent new book,  The ...

The flight attendant made announcements about some special programs when the plane landed. There were banners in the luggage hall. Billboards lined the road. Signs peeked out of the corners of the hotel lobby. Leaflets waited to be noticed on the desk in the room. Brochures were placed in my hand out on the street. Stickers stuck to the rubbish bins. Logos were everywhere. And what about the internet? Of course, all of this is white noise to those of us who live in media-saturated environments, but coming from a culture that is rather minimalist in marketing, I was overwhelmed. How do we discern which invitation to accept? Which to ignore? Whom do we allow to tell us what we need? Do we even make these choices for ourselves anymore? The Deadly Drama of Consumerism Invitations to participate in the drama of consumerism are extended to all of us. Consumerism, the idolatrous pursuit of pleasure through stuff, can be worshiped by both the lavish  and  the simple. Lik...

We all know it.  It’s a fact we all live with.  The food that we see on all of the fast food advertisements   never  look like what’s lurking inside that cardboard box . The following images present them side-by-side, thus showing the contrast between advertising and reality.  There’s a fine-line between putting your best foot forward, and bearing false witness. Related articles The truth about advertising junk food to children: It works (medicalxpress.com) You Wasting Money on Marketing & Advertising too? [Norman Feiner] (ecademy.com) Lexus breaks advertising rules (autonetinsurance.co.uk) Do me a favor please... (desigheeandcoffee.wordpress.com) Is McDonald's Coffee Success Strong Enough to Last? (foodservicewarehouse.com) Largest Advertising Budgets (creditloan.com) AVL Inc. Expands Its Holdings to Include FrogBox Franchise (prweb.com) The Truth About Twitter Advertising (businessinsider.com) Deceptive Advertising 2 (Result) ...