Is there a more evident reality in the Media 2.0 disruption than the fact that we’re tired of all the marketing in our lives? One-third of prime-time television is ads. You can’t go (and PAY) to see a movie without 20 minutes of commercial messages for those who want good seats. Billboards, signs, radio, the web (does anyone NOT have a pop-up blocker?) and even air sickness bags (thanks, Steve) ring a constant refrain of “sell, sell, sell!”

This has not gone unnoticed by the inimitable George Simpson (one of my favorite writers), who takes on the issue in his Over The Line commentary. Here’s a sample:

Like everyone else, I have online ad blockers and I fast-forward through TV shows I have recorded. I either change channels during live TV commercials–or hit the mute and read a magazine for the duration of the break. (Given the length of most newsmagazine stories now, I can nearly complete an entire issue in two pods). I never listen to commercial radio anymore, since their ads are THE MOST obnoxious of all media. I am happy to pay for XM, which I listen to in the car and almost all day online. I only look at newspaper ads that have SALE in big letters plastered across them. ANYTHING related to advertising that comes in the mail (no matter how cleverly or deceptively designed to get me to open it) is dumped unread into the trash. In other words, I am a pretty typical consumer.

Do yourself a favor and go read the whole thing. It’s wonderful.

This entry was posted on Friday, January 19th, 2007 at 9:32 am and is filed under Advertising. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.