Individualism
in Advertising Sets Cultural Tone
Brandon
Sun “Small World” Column, Monday, August 28 / 23
Zack Gross
Zack Gross
Maybe, if I muted television advertising like my brother-in-law does, I would have lower blood pressure! But, as someone who is vitally interested in how commercial messages affect our thinking, I wouldn’t want to miss those upsetting ads that not only try to sell us products, but also lay out a world view and a personal agenda that those who are trying to control our culture want us to adopt.
“Live life by your own rules,” yells one commercial. “You are one of one," trumpets another! This is a message that fits with the chaotic, anarchic news we get out of the US, where it seems that people feel constrained by a government that, really in global terms, is pretty hands-off and low-key. And this feeling, which I think is unwarranted, is spreading in Canada, where government is seen as the heavy, imposing its will on people who are losing their identity and freedom.
From my point of view, government needs to be more active in ensuring that people’s welfare is taken care of, and the real culprit – over the years and around the world – has been the corporate sector, which is putting out these commercials! No question, there are companies that are focused more on sustainability now than in the past, but the record of many is to deny the impact of chemicals, tobacco, emissions, and so much more.
Of course, advertising is usually about the individual – how can you make yourself more beautiful, wealthier, enjoy more beach-side vacations, and so on. But some ads focus on family, friends and maybe even community. How can you make your yard more attractive and functional so you can have the neighbours over? How can you make your home cleaner and better organized, so your family will be happier and cozier?
A current theme, says Trend Hunter, is to focus on the customer more than the product. Here is what you can ideally achieve in your life, and by the way, driving our brand of vehicle or drinking our brand of pop will be part of that. Ads promote personal identity and independence – how you stand out above the rest – rather than altruism or selflessness. A TV commercial is a kind of selfie, where we put ourselves ahead of, or in front of, our surroundings, rather than seeing ourselves as part of them.
Burger King says “Have it Your Way." Dr. Pepper says you are “One of a Kind." McDonald’s says about its ideal customer, “I Work for Myself." A prominent coffee company says “Create your Starbucks Signature." These slogans, I would argue, originate with more of the frontier American psyche and less with our toned-down Canadian identity, but over my lifetime have affected younger generations and their view of themselves and society.
We are bombarded by American culture unless we make a deliberate decision to avoid it. Summer visits this year with some American relatives reinforced this idea, as they see Canada as a quaint backwater with socialist tendencies and wonder “Why can’t we keep up with them?” But, do we want to? One well meaning relative said to me, “You be you," but will me being me be good for him?
In my work in poverty alleviation, I’ve seen projects begin to focus on supporting those with the most chance of success and then hoping their new-found “wealth” will trickle down to their community. This raises the debate of whether we support those with the most need and steepest challenge or those on the cusp of moving up socially and economically.
It also raises the question of our environmental sustainability. Will what it takes to achieve commercial success help or hurt the climate crisis? So far, business success has been built largely on the back of the environment. What about our society? When I was a kid, most families had one parent working and did okay. Today, with two parents working, sometimes at more than one job each, it is a financial struggle. Are advertisers “putting the screws” to those watching, pushing their competitive buttons, threatening that they will be left behind?
Studies have shown the harmful effects of social media – the constant struggle to garner “likes” on Facebook and the on-going need to self-present: here is what I ate for breakfast, here is my cat being cute – not being sent to family, but to mass audiences “out there."
Contrary to the old Star Trek canon, “the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few," today’s individualism promotes, says researchgate.com, that one should realize one’s goals and desires, and advocate that the interests of the individual should gain precedence over the state or a social group, opposing any interference in this process.
This way of thinking, expressed in daily advertising, will not serve us well, as individuals, as a society, or as a world.
Zack Gross is Board Chair of The Marquis Project, a Brandon-based international development organization, and co-author of the new book The Fair Trade Handbook: Building a Better World, Together.
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