Recognizing and Pushing the Edges of Trends

The truth is that there is a cycle within the ethos of advertising. The first part of the cycle is recognizing the latest trends within the culture. For instance, the information advertising of the early 20th century was affected by the coming of the age of information. The culture has shifted numerous times since then, and we now find ourselves within a culture that highly values the role of celebrity. While standing in line at the grocery store, one can expect to be surrounded by images and stories of celebrities on magazines such as People, US, and OK. One cannot watch the news without learning of the most recent happenings in the dramatic lives of the celebrities that we choose to elevate. Pictures of celebrities fill our magazines and the most recent stories of celebrities fill our televisions.
While many stories of celebrities are frustratingly embedded in tragedy and crime, many other celebrities have taken on the job of pursuing positive causes. Angelina Jolie and Bono are often reported upon for their work in Africa. Sara McLachlan and John Mayer have recently made strong statements with the songs that they have written and the music videos that accompany their songs. (John Mayer with Waitin on the World to Change and Sara McLachlan with The World’s on Fire are posted below.)



Our former vice president, Al Gore, has recently been the strongest voice for awareness regarding global warming. He was given the highest popular culture honor for his film An Inconvenient Truth and won the Academy Award for best documentary feature.

While many of our chosen celebrities are causing havoc within the world, many other celebrities are working hard and putting many resources toward restoration from the havoc that exists. For better or worse, the bottom line is that celebrities set the trends in our culture today and advertisers are well aware of the trends that they are setting.
I sat down with Henry Artime, owner of the Artime Group in Pasadena, California to ask him a network of questions regarding advertising. Representing the first stage of the cycle, Artime stated that his job is to recognize the shifts in culture, and then to exploit the shifts in order to efficiently advertise for businesses so that they may competitively sell products. (G) Barry Taylor, in a Matrix of Meanings, recognizes the first stage of the cycle of advertising. He then brings the cycle full circle by emphasizing the exploitation of not only the current trends, but also exploiting the next step in the trends of culture. Barry Taylor, in a Matrix of Meanings, recognizes the first stage of the cycle of advertising. He then brings the cycle full circle by emphasizing the exploitation of not only the current trends, but also exploiting the next step in the trends of culture. (H) Taylor writes,

“Questions of influence, “who is shaping whom?” cannot be easily answered. The uneasy, mutual journey between advertising and culture can hardly be separated. At times advertising can appear to, and perhaps does, tell us what to think or what to do…”

As readers will see below, the green trend and the pro-social trend has been brought about by celebrities. Advertisers are exploiting these trends. Moving now into the future of trends in America, which advertisers will follow AND try to set, I believe that our culture will be moving deeper into what it truly means to be better stewards of the earth and of people.

The emphasis on green and pro-social advertising has just begun.

A manifestation of this reality is the experience of companies such as GE (One of the Better World Shopper’s top ten worst companies regarding human rights, environment, community involvement and social justice.) exploiting green causes within their advertising. In this commercial they are advertising their “ecomagination” in harvesting clean water out of the ocean.

This trend has just begun and I now hope to embellish upon its coming through numerous examples of its manifestation within the philosophies of advertising.