The Impact of Advertising on American Culture

Thesis: The culture we live in is carried on the back of advertising. This means that the American culture thrives on advertising and commercialization of products and services, which has continued to take many aspects of our lives.

Key Terms

Infotainment: The term has been constantly used by the author describes the getting of information from a medium and a manner that is supposed to entertain and educate the recipient of that information. This is the first basis that advertising thrives on, where it provides information and entertainment of products and services that we never thought we needed or we require.

Adcult: Is the constant bombardment of advertisements on every form or our core existence where the agencies allure the desires of the people by creating infotainment on the current trends, products or services that are available. This why the advertising agencies use the senses of touch, sight, and smell which are commonly used to create desire.

Question or Critique

There is really no great difference between Evian and Mountain Spring, Colgate and Crest, Miller and Budweiser, Ford and Chevrolet. Often, the only difference is in the advertising. Do we really, need to focus on the quality of these products or should we just use the brands that we are accustomed to as most of the things that are advertised sometimes tend to be overly expensive while offering the same outcomes?

Here is the history of magazine and newspaper publishing on a thumbnail. All the innovations in these media were forced on them by advertisers. Does this mean that the media, which are supposed to offer information, have currently changed their role to a platform of making profits rather than informing the public?

References

Twitchell, J. B. (2000). But first, a word from our sponsor. Advertising & Society Review, 1(1).