Advertising is a form of commercial mass communication designed to promote the sale of a product or service and it also sends messages on behalf of an institution, organization, or candidate for political office. Advertising can be found in cultures from thousands of years ago dating back to 3000 BC in Babylonian times. Back then they only used graphic signs and word of mouth from town criers to promote their product to the people. Today we still use word of mouth of radio and TV personalities along with more advanced forms of media to communicate with the public. Societal values are both created and reflected through advertising. I think advertising reflects on societal values more than creating them. Most advertising appeals to emotions, specifically the emotional need for love and belonging, prestige and self-esteem. Advertisers of clothing may associate the product with a lifestyle that the consumer wants to be identified with. For example, Ralph Lauren Polo provides a lifestyle of wealth and prestige. People that buy that want to be recognized with that standard of living. Personal care and perfume products suggest the message that their product will allow the consumer to experience love, acceptance, and sexuality. Other personal care products such as shampoo, deodorant, make-up all play upon the fears of the consumer and exaggerate the rejection that results from not using that product. These examples are reflections of how society already acts and how they have always been. The creating comes into how they will advertise the product to influence the consumer 's buying behavior. Research shows that adolescent girls are influenced with the standard of beauty. They have become dissatisfied with their own bodies, and may develop eating disorders to attain a thin figure. Again this is a reflection on societal values because advertising reproduces these beautiful and extremely thin models in a glamorous way. They are seen in every
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