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Launch! Advertising and Promotion in Real Time, 2009a

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3.2 The Good: <strong>Advertis<strong>in</strong>g</strong> Enhances Our World<br />

LEARNING OBJECTIVES<br />

After study<strong>in</strong>g this section, students should be able to do the follow<strong>in</strong>g:<br />

1. Describe the prosocial aspect of advertis<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> advertis<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>stitutions.<br />

2. Expla<strong>in</strong> the concept of green market<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> its impact on contemporary advertis<strong>in</strong>g.<br />

<strong>Advertis<strong>in</strong>g</strong> is part <strong>and</strong> parcel of the daily world <strong>in</strong> which we all live—it’s the lifeblood of popular<br />

culture. It’s also an <strong>in</strong>credibly powerful mirror that reflects our values, aspirations, <strong>and</strong> fears<br />

(whether of social rejection, f<strong>in</strong>ancial hardship, or just pla<strong>in</strong> body odor). True, we may not always<br />

like what we see <strong>in</strong> this mirror. And it may not deliver a totally accurate reflection—like the look<strong>in</strong>g<br />

glass <strong>in</strong> a funhouse, it may be distorted to magnify our noblest dreams as well as our basest desires.<br />

It’s a formidable weapon that people, bus<strong>in</strong>esses, <strong>and</strong> countries can harness for good or exploit for<br />

evil.<br />

<strong>Advertis<strong>in</strong>g</strong> Is Culture Is <strong>Advertis<strong>in</strong>g</strong><br />

<strong>Advertis<strong>in</strong>g</strong>’s cultural impact is hard to overlook, although many people do not seem to realize how much<br />

these pervasive messages <strong>in</strong>fluence their preferences for movie <strong>and</strong> musical heroes, the latest fashions <strong>in</strong><br />

cloth<strong>in</strong>g, food, <strong>and</strong> decorat<strong>in</strong>g choices, <strong>and</strong> even the physical features that they f<strong>in</strong>d attractive or ugly <strong>in</strong><br />

men <strong>and</strong> women.<br />

For example, consider the product icons that companies use to create an identity for their products. Many<br />

imag<strong>in</strong>ary creatures <strong>and</strong> personalities, from the Keebler Elves to the Burger “K<strong>in</strong>g,” have at one time or<br />

another been central figures <strong>in</strong> popular culture. Although these figures never really existed, many of us<br />

feel as if we “know” them. Check out the Icon <strong>Advertis<strong>in</strong>g</strong> Museum that will soon open <strong>in</strong> Kansas City to<br />

learn more. Even better, visit the museum’s Web site to see how many icons you<br />

recognize: http://advertis<strong>in</strong>giconmuseum.org.<br />

To give you a head start, here are the most popular spokescharacters of 2008, accord<strong>in</strong>g to research done<br />

by the research company Market<strong>in</strong>g Evaluations, which measures the public familiarity <strong>and</strong> appeal of<br />

more than six hundred characters featured <strong>in</strong> advertis<strong>in</strong>g campaigns:<br />

1. Mars’ M&Ms characters<br />

Saylor URL: http://www.saylor.org/books<br />

Saylor.org<br />

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