Questions for "You Are What You Buy"
According to advertising guru james twitchell, every symbol, from alka-seltzer's speedy to the energizer bunny, plants powerful notions of who we are
1. Just as Professor Twitchell is somewhat defined by Wonder Bread and Coca-Cola, what are some of the products that define your character? Why?
2. This article states that the average American encounters 3,000 advertisements every day. Can this be right? Choose a day that you can pay special attention to the number of ads you are exposed to and calculate the number. Try to keep it as a one-page summary, but please show/explain your calculations (this exercise does not need to be typed).
3. Do you think it is acceptable to co-opt the art/music world to market products? Are there particular instances when it is okay? Are there instances when it is not okay?
4. Pick a cultural icon from American advertising. Theorize about its/his/her origin. Where does he/she come from? What does it/she/he symbolize? Does the icon mean the same thing to all people?
5. Do you agree with the title of this article - that you are what you buy? Why or why not?