In my opinion, it could go both ways. I tend to lean toward advertising affecting society, but I will make points for both.
Advertising affects society!
Who is responsible for showing us what the new trends are? Advertisers and the companies that employ them. What becomes trendy is what we see through ads. Whether it be on television, through the radio, or on a simple billboard; the message gets through. Advertisers supply us with a product and subtly says, "hey, you need this in order to fit in or be normal." For example: The iPod. I was doing just dandy with my walkman and clunky headphones. Even when mp3 players came out, I was still satisfied with what I had. When that iPod came out, I just had to have one. Why? Because their commericials were so out of control good! Their marketing campaign was genius in my opinion. Look at the iPod now: A complete necessity to us. Vehicles come with iPod plug-ins, and iPod accessories are extremely popular (I own quite a number). Our world is wired for the Apple iPod. And how could we ever live without our portable music videos?
Another example would be image. We are constantly bombarded with images of fit, thin, obviously attractive women. This is seems to be out of place when America as a nation is becoming increasingly more obese. So, knowing that America is so ridiculously fat, they supply us with weight-loss pills. We are led to believe that these slender, fit people are what is normal. Still America sits on the couch, shoving it's face with potato chips.
Society affects advertising!?
Society shifts constantly. Wants and needs are changing as technology changes as well. When an advertiser puts out a product that is not needed, or has already been produced, the public does not respond. They generally make what we want. Again with the weight-loss products, advertisers know we can use them so they give them to us.
Now that I am writing this, I don't have a lot to say. I will leave it up to those of you that do. God speed.
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