WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF ADVERTISING IN CONTEMPORARY LIFE?

To know the importance of advertising, we must first know what advertising means.
Advertisement is a promotional technique used by sellers in order to sell their goods or services,
and to make them reach to a larger audience. There are different sources of advertisement, like
newspapers, magazines, television, hoardings, etc. Most of us buy a product after watching it's
advertisement, or if the advertisement is done by our favourite celebrity, that's why some
companies invest a lot to get a famous personality promote their products. Children get excited
after watching vibrant colours, toys, etc. There are many instances where we are watching
television casually, an ad comes, and we suddenly realise that we wanted to buy that particular
item. Also, it happens that sometimes we see something very unique and new, and want to
purchase that product then and there (if it's cheap in price). We usually find the product we are
looking for through advertisement only. It makes us know about the discounts or sale going on,
so that we can buy the products at cheap rates. Some of our day today problems are also
solved with the help of advertisement, like dental problems. Through advertisement, we get to
know about the latest trends and fashion, and they also provide us with a wide range of
products. Advertising on social media helps us choose from n number of similar products, where
we get different quality, price, warranty, etc. and can select as per our requirements. It's quite
rare, but has happened with me many times. We get to know about some extremely great songs
or music through advertisement. There is background music in every ad, but some of them are
really impressive, and we being the prospective consumer, watch that ad again and again just to
hear the music, and sometimes, find that music on YouTube as well (for example, Hero
Splendor's ad with the song Chalta Rahe Tera Mera Meelon ka Yaarana; Minute Maid Pulpy
Orange ad with Shaant gadadhaari bheem song; Nescafe with Karne se hi hona hai song). In
addition to the music, we see some eye catching poems, quotes or shayaris; they motivate us
from inside.

Not every ad is good, those promoting liquor or cigarettes are actually dangerous. But to show
us the reality, advertisements are made depicting all the ill effects of consuming alcohol and
cigarettes, which makes us realise how bad they are for our health. One of the most important
aspect of advertisement is the social message which they give. Some have hidden meaning,
while some messages can be seen clearly. Companies which give social message in their ad
can have a great positive impact on the society. An example which can fit perfectly in this
category is of Dove's latest ad, with the famous hashtag #stopthebeautytest. The ad starts with
the lines, "It's not the story of us only, but of millions of girls in the country". An obese girl is
sitting in front of the mirror, getting ready (a guy's family has come to see her for marriage ), and
her sister says, "We asked you to wear a saree, your weight is showing", and then her mother
says ,"Her weight will be visible even in the saree." The pain and humiliation can be seen in the
eyes of that girl. Similarly, a dark toned girl, a girl with short height, a girl with curly hair, another
girl with scar, are shown. So, this ad is basically about all the comments a girl has to tolerate in
her life, just because of her flaws, and how difficult it becomes to get her married because she is
having one, or more than one. We grew up listening to patriarch comments like don't do this, no
one will marry you, you are so fat, loose some weight or no one will marry you, how slim you
are, eat more or no one will marry you, there's a long list. Looks and beauty (definitely outer
beauty) is the first thing a boy's family see, even in 21st century. But is marriage the only thing
a girl is born for? The truth is, a person with good heart will accept her flaws, and will love her,
though it's quite difficult, but will happen for sure. This is a small advertisement but the message
it gives is very big, and if everyone get inspired by this, there will be a huge change in the
mindset of people. There are so many people, some are beautiful and some are not, it's just the
different point of view of different people, a person who is not so beautiful for some, could be the
most beautiful person for somebody else. And the last line of this ad is the best part, "Look for
the beauty, and not the flaws", single line with deep meaning. I hope we see more
advertisements like this in future.