power to the people

We’ve been talking a lot about advertising lately: objecting to it, complaining about it, ignoring it, and wondering if we’re making a difference.

I find advertising in general offensive. The very fact that it’s there, everywhere I look, invading my eye-space, detracting from the view of my surroundings. But occasionally an ad is clever, amusing or even needed. How else am I going to know a cool band is playing this weekend or those shoes I’ve been eyeing off for weeks are finally on sale?

I’ll also be the first to admit I get sucked in, not by the ad itself, but by the product. If it’s new, I want to try it. If I think it’ll make a difference in my life, I’ll go check it out. Of course, how do I find out about these fabulous new goodies if I don’t allow myself to be advertised to?

But why should I allow myself to be advertised to with images that I object to?

I like to believe that advertising loses power if we ignore it. Lack of acknowledgment means lack of response (sales) means failure. However, I’m only one person ignoring these ads when everyone else seems to be watching them, accepting them and giving them power. And companies will stick with the system that works. They’re not likely to change the formula any time soon.

So we publish articles and post blogs and express our disgust to our friends, colleagues and anyone else who’ll listen. We might take it further and write a letter to the networks and the companies responsible. If we’re lucky we might get an actual, albeit standard-response-type letter stating their position and why they won’t alter their campaign. Then what?

We feel angry, defeated, helpless. I’m frustrated by this process and don’t get caught up in it too often. It’s too easy for those companies to bin a letter or delete an email.

But what about thousands of letters and thousands of emails? Can the companies ignore them en masse? Do we need to start our own campaigns to be heard?

It works for Greenpeace.