Advertising Culture. A story.

There were four asterisks on the first line of the story between 'for' and 'in'.

Second line!

Unfortunately most consumers would prefer to think their cheap chickens, beef etc. are raised on farms where they are allowed to roam free and close their eyes to the reality. If they want animals to be raised in good conditions they have to face the fact that it will cost more.

Having said that, some people are on such low incomes that they have no choice but to buy the cheap meat.

Well done you for not taking the money and letting them film.

[triumphant emoticon] Bags

Oops, I should have made clear that this is someone else's story, not mine. I'm just relaying it.

Reminds me of all of the telephone conversations I've had with people starting with 'hello, you'll be pleased to hear I'm not trying to sell you something'.'Oh yes you are';'oh no I'm not' etc etc....Mind you, I did a brief stint [like a lot of stay at home mothers] as a 'market researcher' and I do find advertising fascinating. I am in awe of the VW adverts [all of them] and the latest one with the baby and the father in the car late at night is a classic.

Like the Archers with Helen Archer from an organic farm getting romantically interested in Rob the manager of the new intensive mega dairy that is about to open. Archers fans will know what I am on about.

A cautionary tale. However media savvy we may think we are and we really DON'T believe that it's all milkmaids and happy cows (do we?) there is a subliminal message which is usually down right misleading at best. If ALDI or whoever are not ashamed of the way their products are produced (sorry about that) they should be prepared to show it on their advertising.

Sadly advertising works, or so we are led to believe, and I think that it is the case. It doesn't really say a lot about us as consumers though does it.
I have always been of the opinion that the degree and frequency of advertising a product or service is generally inversely proportionate to its quality or benefit. How many times have we seen an advertisement for cat's eye road markings or for common or garden tap water?

I often wonder how much I have been influenced by an advert. Much as I love the VW ads I've never bought a VW [can't afford one for a start] and am hard pushed to say which advert advertises which item [never knew which tea the chimp swere drinking; still don't in fact]. But I know I must be influenced.

I like to think that I am fairly resistant to advertising, but must confess that I have just been looking at the Admiral website for multi car insurance

Yes, he has bought me a car for my birthday! (But we did agree to compromise and buy an older model for a lot less money)

I do buy things in supermarkets that are placed in strategic places; bought some mayonnaise the other week and, thinking it was on offer I bought two then realised it was just placed next to the 'on offer' tuna and was actually quite expensive .

Tegan since becoming single and forced to do my own shopping I have been amazed at the 'tricks' supermarkets use to entice shoppers into buying what they want them to buy rather than what the shopper would wish to buy. I am no less astonished at the way with which we as consumers fall for their 'artful ways'. I guess they rely on shoppers being pushed for time. If any consolation it is not only a UK phenomenon, I have witnessed similar tactics being used in overseas supermarkets.