SPE 212-010 Blog #4

We as Americans are immersed in a society solely based off advertising. Everywhere we are, advertising makes every possible effort to meet us and to persuade us to at least pay attention to their product, organization, service or idea. Television is one of the two mediums (the other being the Internet) I expose myself to day in and day out. ESPN and MTV are the two channels which have the most effect on me in terms of catching my attention. The Internet plays the same role as television on  a much broader scale through various websites including YouTube, Facebook, and Pandora, which are all websites I visit daily. Throughout this 24 hour process, I have noticed and have become much more in tuned with how much these organizations use their products, ideas and services to their advantage.

You lay down in bed, grab your laptop and hit the power button. You then grab the silver Service Electric remote (which by the way promotes its deals and sales on demand) and hit the power button and follow up by hitting channel 77. Music Television has a variety of commercials, although that variety attracts a much younger demographic, ranging from the early teens to mid to late twenties. From Gillette Fusion Proglide razors and Gillette Odor Shield, to facial cleanser by Clear&Clear, Sonic jumbo popcorn chicken and Gatorade commercials galore, I instantly was hit and persuaded to buy, buy, buy at 10 A.M. What I find most ironic is one particular Gatorade commercial starring Michael Jordan which made me want to buy Gatorade, which I did. (Talk about an impulse buy) Throughout the day, Ridiculousness, Cribs, Jersey Shore, and Parental Control owned the prime-time slot. Advertisements consisted of Proactiv cleansers during Jersey Shore, Chevrolet Sonic commercial starring Rob Dyrdek during Ridiculousness (who would have guessed) and Xenadrine commercial starring Ronnie from Jersey Shore. Many of the advertisements including Gatorade and Proactiv popped up multiple times and even the term "name recognition" helps you understand the commercial could be a bore or ridiculous and the brand will still help it sell.

Repetition can be a blessing and a curse. The Internet uses much more subtle yet obnoxious approaches. Ever enter a website and notice as you scroll down, an advertisement follows you blocking your view. The only way to rid yourself of this Nat is too click and consume or refresh. Many people can understand  the irritation I have and emphasize with me when I say both Pandora and YouTube have sold out in terms of advertisements interrupting viral videos. You click through a few songs on Pandora and you have no choice but to pay attention. "Thanks Pandora listeners!" YouTube allows you to skip on certain advertisements but that depends on how much money YYouTube receives for that advertisement. The reason I do not give a specific time for these examples is because this is random, repetitive, and a common occurrence. Facebook is much more subtle in its approach of advertising. On your home page, you have one sponsored picture however, you may click a "see all" link and buy a Gibson guitar, create your own anime, or mark a travel map of every city you have ever been in. From here you can even create your own ad!

You yourself can be the Nat. You have the power now too approach and be your own medium. It is the world we live in today. It is the reason the US spends $263 billion on advertising as of 2004. Through this 24 hour process, you notice just how much you consume advertisements, show much so that it just becomes a huge blur. Therefore, nowadays, advertisers will do whatever it takes to get at least a snip of your attention throughout the day. That's not even including the fact that not all mediums are consumed during the day. That is just the world we live in today. We all are consumers, it is inevitable, and the exposure of advertising again can be a blessing and a curse.