Jan 25 2012: Ok so for example, the new Acura ads show a man in football gear being stripped and then redressed in a fancy suit (essentially being "upgraded") while a deep voice says "it works for people, why not cars?" and the man is then replaced by the new Acura, conveying the idea that we can be "upgraded" by the new Acura. The truth is, we will not be upgraded by the new Acura, but rather we will be significantly poorer financially and arguably spiritually poorer as well for believing that a car would upgrade us in the first place.
Jan 25 2012: Modern western advertising is based on the lie that we are not presently as happy as we could be if we bought your product, and that we need it to be better people. So to answer the questio, no advertising cannot be both a force for commerce and a force for good. And to the person who started this debate, as an educated person how can you seriously think that it could be?
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A comment on Conversation: Can advertising be both a force for commerce AND a force for good?
A comment on Conversation: Can advertising be both a force for commerce AND a force for good?
A comment on Conversation: Can advertising be both a force for commerce AND a force for good?