Advertisements always promise far more than they deliver.

The motto of the cosmetic company Dove, is “real beauty.” It believes in promoting the so-called
“real beauty” of men and women by selling their products. But can “real beauty” be achieved by
the use of these artificial products? Or is this a trap? We see advertisements as such every single
day in our lives that we deny that they have an influence on us. We come across slogans from
our favourite brands or pictures of beautiful models who have achieved their “real beauty” by the
aid of the company’s product. But we don’t realize that they have an effect on us. The companies
are not selling soaps or clothes. Instead, they are selling a way of life. Their promises to care for
us, help us explore the real us and make us feel like we ‘fit in’ our own societies isn’t always
fulfilled.

In recent days, companies who advertise have begun using a new method of advertisement,
frequently termed as “sadverstising.” As its name suggests, the marketers create advertisements
featuring heartwarming stories revolving around an issue which we may support or feel
passionate about, thus, ensuring that we know that they care for us. Advertisements have
promoted a vision for people, making them attached to the brand they’ve been influenced by, the
brand that has promised them a better way of seeing themselves. Such advertisements mainly
focus on two keyways to be effective: first, making sure they touch the viewers on a deeper
emotional level and second, promising them that their chosen brands will make a difference in
the world. The internet and other advertisement outlets have catered these key factors perfectly
making people believe that buying their products can actually make a difference, not only in their
own lives but also in the world.

Advertisements showcase ‘unrealistically perfect people’ and ‘unhealthy lifestyles’ in a way that
people are convinced that such illusions exist and it is ‘cool’ or ‘trendy’ or even important to
follow them. They make sure that our perception of reality is altered by using sophisticated
knowledge and techniques to do so. They create desires which are impossible to fulfill and they
convince us to buy products that we don’t even need. This leads to a feeling of dissatisfaction
with oneself. The “perfect people” appearing on billboards and TV adverts make us feel like we
aren’t complete and that there’s something that is always missing. Advertisements promise to
help us be the ‘real us’ by persuading us to buy their products in order to do so. People suffer
from anorexia and bulimia,
vomiting and dizziness and all other kinds of conditions because they now believe that they can
be themselves only if they look like what they see on adverts, unrealistically perfect, a promise
delivered by the companies.

Prejudices and stereotypes in our societies have been supported by some advertisements. For
example: the brand “Fair and Lovely”(the name now changed to “Glow and Lovely”) has been
advertising the importance of fair skin in order to be considered attractive and beautiful. Women
and men with darker skin complexion have been directly targeted to buy these products, as the
adverts have convinced societies to believe that without fair skin and light complexion, an
individual cannot be considered beautiful. These false ideologies and promises made by these
adverts have influenced the way people view themselves and the way their society views them.

Almost all the time, there is barely a connection between the product sold and the way of life that
it represents, but rather contradictions. Our lifestyles have been revolving around such products
and believing in their hollow promises. These have been influenced by none other than the
advertisements shown in newspapers, webpages, television, billboards and other advertisement
outlets. Not only do they support the biased notions prevalent in our societies but also make us
feel incomplete and unsatisfied with ourselves. Our sponge-like minds absorb what is trending in
the world and we tend to follow them regardless of their obvious negative impacts on us. We
should be aware and understand that advertisement is only a marketing strategy but thinking that
it will provide solutions to all the problems can be a huge mistake.