Sunday, September 18, 2011
Post - Here Come the Advertisers
http://money.cnn.com/2011/09/16/technology/you_tube_mobile/index.htm
Just when we grew used to watching the latest installments of “How Our Favorite Crazy Artist Did Something Outrageous” (a.k.a. YouTube) from the comfort of our own smartphone minus the propaganda and “media intermissions”, viola…we will now be experiencing the latest popular media content sponsored by that Old Spice guy. It really should be expected at this point, that media produced by anyone would have an advertisement tied to it. With moneymaking being the end game for practically everyone, if there is anyway that one can squeeze a quarter out of selling space on their (fill in your preferred personal media here) page, they will because that has become the American Way – sell out your idea, creativity, personality and message to the highest bidder. Communication through the expression of ideas, visible “art” if you will, has been reduced down to what it is worth to those that can sponsor it. Reflecting back on The Written Word, the progression of communication does not evaluate this phenomenon; free messages that are wrapped into another “shell” message that has nothing in common nor supports the original message. Hence, we have allowed advertisers to create a fee structure to pay for artistic communication of ideas and encouraged it by creating social networks that post our latest “Deep Thoughts” (ref: Jack Handy, SNL) and wax poetic, with sidebar advertisements. Another example of how nothing is free in this world.
--CG
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I found your article particularly funny because I was thinking about this concept as I was watching television a few days ago. There was a commercial for a shoe company; however, the advertising did not have much to do about shoes. In fact, I only spotted one pair of shoes. Taking the Old Spice example you used, the men in those commercials are expressing that if you buy this product, you will be a sexy man that your woman cannot let go of. Don’t get me wrong, I find the commercials extremely funny, but it is just selling out the competition with creativity. Advertising has changed so much, I don’t even feel like it should be called advertising anymore!
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