Branding America: The Medias Effect on the Onslaught of Modern Advertising Essay

We see them every day, sometimes without even noticing.   They seem to follow us where ever we go and they are even lurking in our homes with us.   They stare at you from the sides of tall buildings.   They watch from above as you ride the bus around town.   They jump out at you while you are surfing the web.   Resistance is futile because they simply cannot be escaped.   Yes, I am of course talking about advertisements.   While those images may be a bit melodramatic, the message still resonates true to our modern life.   Advertising moguls are using increasingly aggressive tactics and are always taking full advantage new technology.   Not long after the advent of the television, commercials were being broadcast into nearly every home in America.   The internet began as a great way to connect and gather information.   It has now become a sea of flashing banners and pop-up advertisements.   No matter where we hide in this great country of ours, the large shadow of modern advertising is simply inescapable.   It seems that the advertising industry will not stop until every inch of countryside is adorned with a poster for the latest blockbuster or a slogan for the newest McDonald’s sandwich.   Being unable to escape the persuasive grip of the ever growing influx of advertising is yet another one of America’s inconvenient truths.   How long can one go without experiencing the constant hounding of today’s marketing strategies?   In short: not very long.   Current advertising trends are crossing the line from friendly advice to public nuisance.  

While safe and sound in the privacy of my own room, the constant bombardment of advertisements does not falter.   When watching television, it is obvious that you are going to receive persuasive information from commercials and infomercials.   The constant influx of advertisements and information is illustrated beautifully in Bill McKibben’s article “7 A.M.”   In this short essay, the author writes down all of the random blurbs and thoughts that...