This week at Harper Morgan English, we’re talking about the power of advertising.
Last weekend, the Super Bowl took place. Not only is it a much anticipated sporting event but also a spectacle of entertainment making it very attractive to advertisers. 30 second Super Bowl adverts often cost millions of dollars and some companies use the precious time to both promote their products and make big statements.
This year was no exception. Especially given the current state of American politics, companies such as Budweiser, Audi and 87 Lumber presented powerful political stories. Budweiser portrayed the semi-fictionalised story of its founder arriving in America and facing discrimination while the 87 Lumber advertisement depicted a Mexican family making their way into America.
This [1] New Yorker article, by Ian Crouch, argues that despite Budweiser claiming that its advertisement is bipartisan, nothing at this time is. Ian states that in the current context, everything is a representation of as side of the argument.
What we’re interested in discussing is whether it is acceptable for such serious topics to be used to promote sales and encourage people into consumerism.
Here are some things for you to consider;
Do you think advertising is manipulation? Do you think the majority of people are aware of this? Is it right for companies to use serious political debates to increase their sales?
We’re always interested in what you think so comment, share and join the conversation!
[1] B2+ Read here
