We Are Living In a Political World

“When InterContinental summons the InterPersonal to sell its hotel rooms (or when Cadillac summons the same to sell cars; or when Expedia airs ads celebrating the aiding of refugees; or when Honey Maid, maker of graham crackers, airs spots promoting cross-cultural understanding; or when Panera, the fast-casual purveyor of Bacon Turkey Bravo® Sandwiches, adopts as its tagline, ‘Food as It Should Be’), what is being invoked is not merely blithe aspiration, cultural ideals fit to be transformed into corporate profits. The ads are, instead, profoundly political. And they are explicitly moral. They are making claims not just about what we should buy, but about what we should be.” The Atlantic’s Megan Garber on an interesting trend in advertising: Selling What They Preach. (This will come as news to podcast listeners who might be under the impression that marketers are only trying to sell us mattresses and Squarespace sites.)

+ One reason why ads are a bigger deal than ever: People trust them more than they trust the news.