Miguel Rodriguez

04/12/11

____________________________________________________ DEFENSE OF THE AD-MAN

Advertising is, by definition, the action of calling something to the attention of the public especially by paid announcements1. In Attack on the Ad-Man, A.S.J. Tessimond expresses vividly his aggressive sentiments towards advertising or, more specifically, the people who are employed to carry out this activity, that is, to keep our reason dull and null and void. In this essay I will expound on the arguments that contradict Tessimonds views and, thus, provide a balanced impression of what modern advertisement is all about, allowing you, the reader, to conjure your faltering opinion towards the matter.

A.S.J. Tessimond argues that the advertiser, otherwise known as the Ad-man, manipulates the truth in order to persuade the public to buy seemingly necessary products that may be, in reality, valueless; products that he himself may not believe in. And that he does so for the financial benefits- the money.

Praising whatever he is paid to praise. In most cases, advertisers will not publicize a product unless they think the product is genuinely valuable. If the product is fashionable in the public society, the advertiser will continue to publicize the same product. Whatever the case may be, a poor quality product is highly unlikely to sell more than once. It is the advertisers job to keep up the quality of the artifacts. Thus, the product must be almost exceptional in order to be successful.

A.S.J. Tessimond fails to recognize the positive impacts of advertisement on the society. It can be argued that, since they increase the demand for goods, advertisers play an influential role in the employment rate of the country. If more goods are being sold, a larger workforce is needed to produce them. _____________________
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Encyclopedia Britannica

Miguel Rodriguez

04/12/11

Thanks to advertisement, daily newspapers remain inexpensive. A perfect example of this is Swiss newspaper 20 Minutes, found in distributing boxes located in public transport stops and other similar sites around Geneva. This paper is entirely free. The advertisement covers the papers financial needs and, as a natural consequence, the journal company reduces the price for the public.

Tessimond portrays advertising as a malignant form of law-bending misdeed. In summary, he explains how, by targeting our weaknesses, the Ad-man is able to carve his way into our minds and gradually make us succumb to his advertisement. Thus, driven by these forces of attraction, we are almost forced to buy the product that is being advertised. In many cases, this is not true. An advertisement is made to persuade the audience to purchase a particular product, yes, but the final decision is down to the consumer. An advertisement might be effective as to remain in our minds but it will never impel us to join the queue of sheep that flock to buy Most consumers are motivated by recommendations and opinions from friends and relatives. It is improbable that a person will spend large sums of money on a product which seems really cool on TV.

Although what A.S.J. Tessimond elaborates on in his skillfully written poem, Attack on the Ad-Man, is an ambitiously valid argument, his claims may often be wrong. Based on the facts presented previously, it is rather evident that advertising can be considered as a benefit for society. Advertisers are not evil, or mental prostitutes, they are generous. Modern day advertising is all about creating a brighter, more contented world.