On The Power Of Advertising

“Accessorise your underarms” suggested a deodorant advert on a passing bus. Before I could help myself I had in my head a picture of a chubby European woman with little pink butterfly clips and mini scrunchies dangling from her underarm hair. Thanks for that then.

I get slightly disturbed by the power of bus advertisers: in a newspaper or magazine I can chooses not to turn the pages; with television I can chooses not to turn it on; but there is little I can do about advertisements on passing busses. I am nothing but a pawn in their greed driven game. I know, I can choose not to buy their product, or whatever, but it’s harder to forget their irritating slogans, or avoid being subconsciously influenced by their alluring images. As a passing bus glides by my eyes are dragged with it, and inside I helplessly cry. An advert reaches out with its candy coated steel grip and heartlessly holds my gaze for seconds longer than I would want. The damage is done.