Teens and Advertising:
Although teens don't realize it, advertising plays a big role in their lives. You see it at home and even in school. Advertisers try to convince their consumers to BUY! BUY! BUY! even if they have to spend millions of dollars to produce a commercial.
TV is not the only way to advertise. There is also radio, billboards, flyers, the Internet, and school. Yes, school. Have you ever wondered why there are only PEPSI machines in our school? This is because PEPSI offers the school a deal so that they can sell their products using the facility. In return sometimes the company will offer cash, or even a scoreboard for the gym (on which they will put their logo ). Some companies offer a better deal than others, so there is still competition.
TV is one of the main sources of advertising. In fact, if there wasn't any advertising on TV, then there wouldn't be free TV. Advertising is where all of the money comes from to produce and broadcast shows. Even though it's very annoying to watch commercials on TV (to me), they are still very important. There are different ways for a company to advertise on a commercial. They could use an emotional appeal. This is when they try to relate to the viewer, or they play sad music with the effect that you start to feel sad for the actors. An example is the commercial when the little girl doesn't want to go to school and then she feels better when her mom wipes her face with a piece of toilet paper. For some people that would make them want to buy that certain brand of toilet paper and for others it won't.
Another way to advertise is subliminally. I don't think this is right at all. This is when they add pictures that flash by very quickly or they have some sort of hidden message that they put in your head without you even noticing. A while ago in the movie theatres, they would have pictures of popcorn and candy flash by during the movie. This would cause some people to get hungry for no apparent reason. So, they would go and get something to eat. Then when they are done eating, they would flash pictures of cola during the movie. Can you guess what happens next? Ching! Ching! They've just made a good profit!!! As far as I know, they do not use this type of advertising in theatres anymore, or they just haven't got caught yet.
After teens see all of the advertisements and logos, they decide what are the best brands and what they will spend their money on. Some people will even go to the limit of paying $50 for a T-shirt. To me, this sounds crazy. You could probably buy the same T-shirt for $10, but without the fancy logo. That means you are paying $40 for a logo and $10 for a shirt. The only reason you are paying $40 extra is because advertisers have made you believe that their product is cool and the best.
It's time that you stop listening to all those advertisements and think with a mind of your own. Don't listen to companies that say their product is the best. All that means is that they want your money and they will say anything to get it. If you are like me, instead of listening to those annoying commercials, turn the TV off or press the mute button. Trust me, it helps.
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