Advertising's ubiquity in our society serves as a constant bug in the back of our minds telling us to consistently better ourselves. Advertising is everywhere, no matter where you go or what you do, there is something always trying to appeal to you, always trying to draw you in. We as people are always trying to better ourselves in every possible way, striving to become more attractive, more intelligent, trendier. Unfortunately for us, our ‘best selves’ can be defined in any way, making it an unattainable goal to set. Advertisements tend to argue otherwise though, constantly offering the ‘New best greatest trendiest thingy for £xyz!’, Trying their best to change the trajectory of everybody's lives using a somewhat reasonable price and superlatives.
Trends practically run the world these days - if you’re not trendy, the online world won’t even acknowledge your existence, or it will, but only in the hopes of bringing you onto the trends. The wide landscape of the universe however, with its niche subcultures and small corners meets the conditions to make most things trendy, and almost anyone can find something that aligns with their tastes. This sounds wonderful on paper, everyone has somewhere to fit in and our society is becoming more tolerant to styles and cultures that are different from our own, and yes, that is really great. Alternatively, our heads are beaten relentlessly with the ever-evolving nature of social media. The second something is in, it’s out again, the second something is interesting, its old.
The second something Is unique, its ‘cringe’. They are aware of this and take advantage of it. To quote Banksy’s Statement ‘They are “the advertisers” and they are laughing at you’
They will take your money and gift you with something that brings you some form of guilt anytime you look at it. They try and twist and contort you into something you aren’t, but both you and them, need to be convinced that you are. You are convinced you need this new shampoo, this new remedy, this new technology, this new bag, to better yourself and your life, when in actuality it probably won’t affect you as much as you think. You are allowed to buy what you want, in a sense. You have autonomy over yourself and your actions are your own - you buy these things because you want them. But would you really want them if you were told that you are fine as you are? Would you want that new volume-inducing shampoo if you didn’t see a fashion advert the other day of a perfect model with voluminous hair? Would you want that new pair of new football shoes if that Nike study the other day didn’t say your style of shoes was ‘old’ and ‘bad’? They all work together, in a sick superior harmony creating the perfect this, the perfect that, so people viewing them can purchase all the necessary ‘new and improved’ sections of them to become like the people they see in the adverts. These ‘untouchable’ people, people you never actually see on the street, stood so tall and big on a 30m Billboard slapped on the side of a building, taunting everybody below.
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