USING NARRATIVE IN ARTICLES (EXAMPLE)

My friend Natalie is at the shops again, doing serious damage to her bank balance. 'But
the bag is on sale!" she exclaims down the phone, to justify what she knows I consider
to be another wasteful excess. She's buying 'must-have' items which she will rarely or
never use before throwing them out, and adding to the ever growing landfills that blight
our landscapes.
Natalie is a perfect example of today's consumer, and advertisers love her. Lured by all
sorts of pie-in-the-sky promises, she forks out on products that will never, ever do what
they claim to. Her bathroom cabinet is overflowing with miracle creams and lotions.
Her phone is the latest model and replaces a perfectly good and highly attractive older
version. Why get rid of it? 'Because it's not the latest!' That's exactly what advertisers
and brand owners want - products that are made psychologically obsolete long before
they actually wear out. And all of this at a cost to the consumer, who is robbed by the
high price of new things and the cost of the credit to buy them.
Money is not the only way to measure the cost of an item. When you add up all the raw
materials and energy that go into the goods consumed over an individual's lifetime, the
toll on the environment is staggering. When this cost is multiplied for families, cities
and countries, the proportions are incredible. Disposal also poses problems for the
environment. Landfills swell with cheap discarded products that fail early and cannot
be repaired, as well as disposable items that are specifically made for one-time-only
use.
There is a better way, but it will take some doing to change the minds of people like my
friend Natalie. It would involve educating consumers and explaining to them that
advertisers and brands don't see them as valued customers, but rather as fools who
are easily manipulated to part with their cash. Once people realise they're the dummies
in the story, attitudes may change.

An international magazine has asked readers to send in articles giving their

views on advertising. You decide to write an article in which you discuss how
advertising manipulates young adults. Make comments on these points,
giving your own point of view:
• Creating a desire for status symbols
• Playing on insecurities
• Becoming resistant to the pressure
Write your article in 280-320 words.

“LIKE PUPPETS ON A STRING”, an article by FB

I recently ran into my friend and former college roommate Georgie.
And despite not having seen each other for years, one trait of his
personality seems to have stood the test of time: his obsession with
Nike sneakers and soccer teams t-shirts, to the extent of having
developed a unique ability to recall any related TV ad, turning him
into the epitome of consumer who most brands wish to count on.

As any advertising executive would justifiably claim, items must be

shown to the audience for them to be sold. But watching Georgie
speaking about how comfortable his brand new pair of Nike
sneakers feels while boasting about his cool look while wearing a
Real Madrid t-shirt, one can’t help but wondering whether some
publicity stunts might have an unexpected yet not entirely unwished
side effect. Arguably, some ads are cleverly crafted with appealing
actors and soundtracks for the sake of causing a lasting impression
on viewers. However, selling products by linking them to a certain
upscale lifestyle or wealthy image could appear as if the actual goal
of an advertising campaign would be to promote a consumerist
frenzy and self-indulgence.

To make matters worse, such cunning association between a brand

and a way of life might also have a devastating effect on your self-
esteem. If Georgie’s only sense of belonging to a social group feels
inextricably connected to only wearing that kind of footwear that
comes with a hefty tag price, then what could be done about a
sudden feeling of anxiety caused by not being able to afford to buy
it? And who should be held accountable for that?

It would seem appropriate to instill mindful consumerism habits

among individuals right from their school years. Should we do so,
not only would we foster a healthier approach to buying products,
but also we would contribute to foster critical thinking as the
adequate means to navigate the ever enticing scenario of
advertising.