The world is full of advertisements. Newspapers, web sites,
television, and so many more mediums are constantly shoving ads into the faces
of their audience. Since I grew up being bombarded with ads, I have learned to
ignore them for the most part. However, advertisers have become more creative
in how and where they place their ads, so I am still being affected by them.
The advertisements that entice me the most are ones that
deal with saving money. Since college students are known for being tight on
money, college campuses are filled with ads about low prices or deals that save
money for this particular target audience. I typically notice these kinds of
money-saving ads when I am eating on the north side of campus. Since I do not
like to spend too much over my meal plan equivalent of $4.70, I try to get the
most bang for my buck. I came across an advertisement placed in front of the
eateries at the Academic Forum that flaunted a sandwich wrap, a side item, and
a drink for the price of a meal. This was great news for me since most
individual sandwiches cost an entire meal by themselves. So I ended up getting
myself a wrap meal and enjoyed every bite of it. I was happy to have found that
ad since it benefited me.
Another ad that I came across came in the form of a slip of
paper taped onto my dorm room door. The ad was about a baseball enthusiasts’ get-together
that would be held later that night in the dorm. Since I am not a big fan of
baseball, I decided to not attend. Although the ad got my attention because it encroached
on my personal space, I had no desire to take action (unless you count my
inaction as being an action.)
The Internet is another medium that I used. It is full of ads on every page, but those ads end up becoming noise. Even when ads are put onto things like videos that make you watch them until the real video begins, I simply open a new tab and search the web until I hear the ad is over. Sure, it is a nuisance, but I have grown used to this routine. If the ad's purpose was to waste my time, then it did its job.
Ads, like its audience, are constantly evolving with the creation of new mediums. Many of my experiences with ads occur when I'm on the north side of campus, in my dorm, or on the Internet. While I cannot completely avoid these ads, my actions determine the effectiveness of them. As with everything in life, the results can be either positive or negative. Since ads will be with us until the end of time, it is important for everyone to create their own way of dealing with ads before they become overwhelmed.
