The Musings Of An Opinionated Sod [Help Me Grow!]

Andy, do you really have an iPhone for Rob? If he doesn’t want it, I’ll put myself out and take it off your hands. Rob, this is a wonderful post, I love the “disposable materialism” phrase as well as your definition of “balanced life” and I think you might be right regarding the drivers of consumption, but I think it is also influenced by the human desire to achieve more than your parents as well as an increase in both educational standards and perceived ease to achieve fame and fortune. It’s interesting though being in advertising, I think you have just officially opened Pandora’s box. 🙂

If this was anyone else, I would say your experience last Saturday was the catalyst for this post but I know you have always felt this way about life and people so I can’t call you a hypocrite, even if you love technology like Elizabeth Taylor loves divorce. 🙂

Pete’s right, you have potentially opened Pandora’s Box but I think what you are saying has merit because the advertising industry has slowly driven people into an area of weakness and reliance even though they believe they are more empowered and confident than ever before.

Michael Moore covered a similar issue in his Bowling For Columbine film when he said the US news services tended to put the population in a state of fear which allowed them to be more easily “controlled” and while the ad industry isn’t as powerful (or clever) they have managed to put billions into a “state of edge” where they are constantly looking for the next thing that promises them the utopia of “life contentment” even though weeks later, there will be something else that says it can make them feel/look even better.

South Park did a great episode on this when one of the characters kept getting the “next big thing” in toys only to find his friends had already moved on to something better and cooler.

We are a society trapped in a bid to find happiness through materialism and while advertising and corporations have a lot to answer for, I think Hollywood and Television are one of the biggest influencers in “selling the dream”. I believe they are far more dangerous than advertising because with marketing, people still know in the back of their mind they are being “sold to” where in movies and TV, it is subtle programming to expect and want more, forgetting that these people are acting rather than living.

Aspirations and desires are wonderful things as they help people have a hunger to progress and follow their dreams, but when they are blinkered to what they already have, then that leads to a state of disatisfaction and my goal is to ensure I help nurture a World for my children where this “Life Balance” you talk about isn’t just spoken about, but embraced.

We have a lot to do to make this happen but as it will also help the environmental issue by cutting back on production and emissions, maybe others will help us in this area as well. Maybe. 🙂

good comment george, youre quite clever sometimes but i fucking hate those smiley things so im not going to waste my breath on your comment except to say i like the way you linked materialism into the environment problem. we should go the whole hog and make cynic an anti effective ad agency, but with the shit most agencies produce, we wouldnt be the first to that title would we? 🙂

that 🙂 was for mrs c

While this debate is all very intelligent and interesting, I HAVE A FUCKING IPHONE AND ITS FUCKING MAGIC! Thank you.

You are going to be very ill then Rob, because all of our Apple team got given one. I just need to make sure my girls don’t feed it to their fishies like the time.

Can you send me that Affuenza book, it sounds wonderful. I’m actually seeing Geoff tomorrow so I’ll get his view on where he thinks society is heading and how much he believes it is influenced by corporation greed and mass entertainment channels. While I’m at it, I’ll try and get him to post his opinion on Gore, I am sure that will cause a flurry of activity on your blog 🙂

This is a really good post and maybe we should get Terri to do some real investigation into it, lets talk about it tonight. Right, I’m off to stare at my phone for the next 4 hours.

Great post, & George, I really liked your comment. The whole concept of ‘disposable materialism’ is quiet scary as you see it grow. Countries that were once ‘developing’ are embracing the consumerist trend (as they have every right to)and this will have a big enviro impact.

Dubai is a really interesting part of the world to watch, it seems to be a culture of excess, and big is better. I see people going into debt to upgrade their cars, watches (do people still wear them), phones etc. At the same time they are living in poor conditions.

I also like that some of the best ad people in the business are actually encouraging debate on these issues, as it can be seen to conflict with ‘core business’.

Hi Jade … I love the fact you’re on ‘holiday’ as you are writing much more, ha!

Obviously I totally agree this issue is growing in magnitude and is influencing and impacting other areas of society [like the environment] however I think it is important to note that while advertising/entertainment and corporate greed are all drivers of this situation, there are some countries whose cultural value system dictates people have to continually progress through life which drives the desire for material possesion and/or social status, regardless of marketing activity.

Lets take your watch example …

In many societies, where conformity reigns due to cultural/religious reasons [ie: Asia and the Middle East] … a watch can often be one of the only ways a person can express a sense of individuality and success to the outside World.

It’s role is not to tell the time, it is a symbol of status and individuality which is why in the UAE, more Men’s Rolex watches are sold to women than men – mainly because their size and cost allows them to demonstrate all the attributes that culturally/religously they are not free to express.

It’s a tough one and they’ll be no perfect answer – but what we do know is that things have to change and in a small way, people in marketing and advertising can help [whilst still fulfilling their clients corporate needs] if they just think abit more before they go and act.

Short term strategy creates short term customers…

lol, im being sincere!
though now a small part of me inside is hoping you will come bearing gifts! 😉

“to me a ‘balanced life’ isn’t about finding a way to manage an equal level of work and play, it’s about finding a situation that ensures you appreciate an equal level of potential and reality and I can’t help but feel many people don’t live that way at all – mainly because the ad industry is fixated on selling ‘fear’ [as a strategy] because they believe it is the most effective way to generate short-term sales!”

The last bit (fear) is dead right. ‘If you don’t have x/y, no-one will like you, and you’ll die alone in a mental asylum’. Sums up quite a lot of strategies.

That said, I like those fear strategies which are a little bit knowing – ‘you need it because you’re weak’ is a classic example.

Selling reality? Well, many adverts could claim they do it already – witness the large amounts of folky, idealised dreamscapes that a lot of agencies seem to want to churn out at the moment.

Which, is frankly bollocks. Advertising needs to wake up to the fact that it’s not regarded as some form of ‘trusted friend’ any more, and needs to win people’s trust by a) getting people’s attention in an interesting way and b) Knowing that the product it advertises is pretty damned good.

Actually ‘being real’, as I think you are implying, is key. I don’t want to know how a new car will make me smell of dandelions/increase the size of my cock/is shiiiiny. No, I want to know it’s reliable, will do the job, and that the people who made it are damned proud of what they do. (Though I dislike car ads as a rule).

And there’s a danger of binging on supposed ‘reality’. But I’d like to think that’s changing, and will continue to change, what with increasing levels of consumer voice (google ‘cillit bang’ for the amount of tests/interaction consumers have had with the brand to prove this).

I love it when you lot get angry, you speak even more sense than normal.

Will you are absolutely right.

This thread is going in the confermit notes.

I like to think this is similar to what I was saying on my blog about honesty being an absolute prerequisite now. You cannot lie to people anymore. You can exaggerate as long as people know you are exaggerating for entertainment (E.g.: Lynx); but lie, and you die.

I dont want an iPhone.

(Will that make them send me one to prove me wrong?)

😉

If any of you lot get an iPhone before I do, then I will be pissed. Maybe I shouldn’t have said that because it’ll probably make Andy send you one just to piss me off.

Given the state of society and their cynicism of advertising, the whole ‘honesty’ thing is always going to have a positive impact …

http://robcampbell.wordpress.com/2007/04/04/how-do-you-make-advertising-refreshing-interesting-engaging-and-infectious/

… however this is beyond just truth in advertising, this is about helping brands achieve growth through helping society, not just treating them like walking wallets.

Whether it is Tesco’s and their “Book for Schools” program or Bank Of America and their “Change Is Good” campaign [to name but a few] … there are ways to make a positive difference in peoples and communities lives whilst still achieving clients goals, it’s just a case of listening to peoples lives, not just clients dreams.

http://robcampbell.wordpress.com/2007/06/08/use-it-or-lose-it/

Absolutely.
I think Marcus is right.

All these things we talk about, making life better, being honest, etc… its ALL about respect, both for the world and for the people in it.

Maybe that should be the overiding theme for this event idea. Respect.

He wouldn’t.

Is he more of a James Brown fan?

…actually, forget I said that poor joke.

So this is where the anger is!