Blog 7 Advertising, Consumer Culture and Desire"

The mock ad that caught my attention was the "Absolut Hangover" ad. The design of the ad was to show the actual health risk of alcohol instead of the fun exciting times real alcohol ads show. In "Advertising, Consumer Culture, and Desire," there was the message that companies tend to make their ad's appear ideal and perfect, that this is the life you will obtain by using their products. The mock ad's used a good example of the same idea by showing what would really happen to your life if you continued to drink by making the vodka bottle a noose shaped. The noose showed the "hangover" that is associated with alcohol, but is overlooked in ads. The mock ads do a good job of showing the negative side of the products, ones that consumers tend to overlook in attempts to achieve this idealistic lifestyle normal ads display. Alcohol ads usually show exciting parties with guys who attract the prettiest girl in the room because they have this alcohol, but they don't show how all the girls would probably leave after the guy gets too drunk and starts throwing up everywhere. We only see the fun part in these ads, and the mock ads offer the negative side effects that are ignored.