Now, before you get out your pitchforks and torches to drive out advertisers in some twisted, chivalrous act to save humanity from the corruption thrust upon us by the ad industry, let us look at the good that advertising can do.
In the early 1900's "Odorono" (what an awful name, right?) became the leading deodorant brand for that time period. However, in a study conducted in 1916, researchers found that 59% of women did not use deodorant, and 47% of those non-users insisted that they didn't need it (though this was obviously far from the truth). So advertising stepped in. Odorono used advertising to create a 'powerful appeal' in order to show women that they actually did need something to conteract their body odor. The Odorono advertising efforts resulted in an 112% increase in sales. Thank goodness.
So is it such a bad thing that Odorono and its advertisements created a need for deodorant?
Well, some may say it is, not necessarily to the argument for the need of deodorant, but what other needs advertising could establish. One may continue to argue that advertising has the power to tell you what to think and what to buy, and is therefore immoral.But are we really that gullible and fragile as a society? We have brains of our own and can decide what we do or don't need. Let's not forget, our generation is ad-savvy. We know when we're being tricked or gimmicked and we also know how to do our own research. Advertising merely presents a product, what it does, and how you can get it. It is an effective way to show us, as consumers, what is out there on the market.
So now when you go on your first dates, when you are nervous and sweating, you can put your arm around her, or snuggle up close to him, and smile and thank advertising for letting you both stay dry and fresh.
