…Advertising Is Pandemic
1. Logos and brands are everywhere and on everything. Whether clothing, water bottles, buildings or online, it’s hard to walk down the street and not be inundated with advertising. Advertising’s ubiquity is even extending into video games, where gamers will be peppered with billboards and product promotion as they whiz around racetracks and blow up bunkers. While the level of daily exposure has been subject to debate, it’s safe to say that not a day goes by where someone is not trying to influence your purchasing habits.
2. Product placement is becoming a common, if not pervasive, feature in media. Cinema, having lead the charge, was traditionally the only vehicle to carry broad (and blatant) product promotions. However, this practice has expanded into all media, whether through television, online vehicles or print. When done poorly, you feel like you’ve just watched a long commercial. When done well, like the Reese’s Pieces in E.T., products fit seamlessly into the shot and context of a scene. PQMedia estimates that the value of product placement in the U.S. is around $7 billion, rising to $10 billion by 2010.
3. Naming rights have become big business. Sports stadiums and arenas have been the target for corporate branding for some time, but the practice is now common among cultural entities (e.g. museums, literary awards and performing arts venues). Furthermore, in an era where municipalities are facing budget constraints, naming rights are being considered for public transportation.
4. Even subculture movements, which generally eschew mainstream promotion, have been infiltrated with advertising. Look no further than Marc Ecko’s brilliant tagging of Air Force 1 and the public relations bonanza that followed.
5. Advertising has gone so far as to convince us that we need personal branding. We used to consider our reputation as something to maintain and manage. But it’s no longer about just reputation. It’s about “You” as a the brand - what you wear, how you speak, what people think of you, how you present yourself in social networking outlets, etcetera. Mmm…I think I’ll print up a few t-shirts.
