4/28/21 4/28/21

The Power of Advertising

When times get tough, advertising is often the first budget to be cut. However, a quick look at history offers a different point of view and how powerful it can be.After World War II advertising played a huge role in establishing single use plastic. Advertising from this era convinced people how inconvenient returning glass was all while manufacturers of plastic worked hard to make it thinner and more fragile, establishing our firm and unshakable relationship with the disposable. As Odile Madden, a conservation scientist at the Getty Conservation Institute states, “We were trained to buy this stuff, these identical, multiple objects that are meant to be used for a short period of time and then replaced with an identical one ― and that took cultural training."Looking further into this topic reveals more contributors to the cycle. The anti-littering campaigns that followed were started by a consortium of industry groups who wanted to divert people's attention away from legislation to control industrial polluters, much bigger culprits than American consumers. The "Keep America Beautiful" campaign shifted the focus away from production on a grand scale, to consumers, who were a much smaller part of the problem.In recent years, the United Nations has put forth 17 Sustainable Development Goals. #14 is "Life Below Water" with the mission of conserving and sustainably using the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development. One of the positive implications of COVID-19 has been the drastic reduction in human activity, providing a chance for our oceans to recuperate.Graphic designers working in advertising may not be as powerful as the industries they work for, however, they should be aware of the role they play and question what they are being asked to do. The messages they create can pack a powerful punch, both for and against our environment. June 8 has been designated World Oceans Day. Let's create messages that celebrate our oceans and call for their preservation and use advertising to help heal our planet, rather than destroy it.Sources:https://sdgs.un.org/goals https://www.marketingsociety.com/the-clubroom/rethinking-role-plastic-and-marketing https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2006/05/origins-anti-litter-campaigns/https://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/blog/2017/10/26/a-beautiful-if-evil-strategy https://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/the-top-10-most-dangerous-ads/http://www.technomarketinginc.com/marketing-budgets-cut/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/vintage-ads-plastic_n_5cdb1768e4b01e9bd3540ffa

12/12/13 12/12/13

Affluenza or alcohol advertising?

Many are outraged at the ten year probation sentence that sixteen-year-old Ethan Couch received for killing four pedestrians while driving drunk. Couch’s legal team introduced the nation to the “affluenza defense,” citing too much money and parental indulgence as the cause of his behavior.With the prevalence of alcohol advertising that is targeted at the teen market, why is the focus on affluenza instead of laying blame on the countless commercials that sixteen-year-olds are exposed to?Research shows that in addition to parents and peers, alcohol advertising and marketing have a significant impact on whether or not youths decide to drink. Research also shows that alcohol advertising and marketing influence expectations and attitudes and creates an environment that promotes underage drinking. In addition, research shows that a reduction in alcohol advertising would reduce adolescent alcohol participation.Ethan Couch may have lived a privileged life, but it didn't protect him from alcohol advertising. Why has the focus of the public’s outrage missed this obvious target?Sources:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/12/affluenza-defense-probation-for-deadly-dwi_n_4430807.html http://www.camy.org/factsheets/sheets/alcohol_advertising_and_youth.html http://alcoholism.about.com/od/prevention/a/Teen-Drinking-Influenced-By-Alcohol-Advertising.htm http://www.camy.org/gallery/ad/1266B4CEC282AED54EFF1013A48E2467