Corporate Manipulation and the Mission to Enslave Humanity

      As Americans, we like to think of ourselves as free. However, there are also reasons we make the  decisions we do. Those who can figure out why may go on to have a lucrative career in advertising. The art of discovering what attracts people to a product includes an entire spectrum of methods and mediums. While blatant advertisements may work with some products, consumers generally feel like they are fully in control of what they purchase. When one sees a television ad for McDonald's, it would seem ridiculous for them to instantly get up and eat at McDonald's purely because of it. Despite the fact that society generally deems this scenario unlikely, that advertisement has more influence than an average consumer would think. Everything from the colors used to the background music is carefully designed to stick in your head and eventually lead you into the corporate trap. But what about the harmless grocery store middlemen? Yes, there are some easily identified brightly colored signs proclaiming unbelievable savings and mega discounts, but there are other, more subtle ways that grocery stores transform a quick run to the supermarket into a two hour long endeavor yielding enough food to feed a family for several months. The unsuspecting consumer might blame themselves for consuming too much, but there are other factors that heavily influence what they buy. Surely, it must've been something other than the buy one get one free signs littering the polished isles that led to buying so much. It turns out, advertisers have more control over you than you think. Because supermarkets have come to be a staple of life in many first world countries, they're also a prime example of how subtle changes in product placement and aesthetics shape what we buy, and by extension our lives. Generally, supermarkets are considered convenient, inexpensive places where a massive variety of food can be bought. Unfortunately, they can also lead impoverished families into a cycle of overspending on processed, unhealthy foods. The supermarkets aren't solely to blame for this, but more the marketing tactics used by food conglomerates capitalizing on people's need for convenient, cheap food.

     As colors and background music are formidable weapons used by McDonald's advertisers, their use goes beyond influencing people to buy cheap burgers. Supermarkets also wield these tools, but in a stealthier way. During our class escapade through various supermarkets, walking through the doors of QFC felt like a truly typical American supermarket experience. Immediately I was struck with the heavy scent of fresh donuts, bread, coffee and cookies. When I looked around, I was overwhelmed with hoards of discounted snack foods and racks of soda. Soft, slow, leisurely music permeated my ears and warm, colorful hues coaxed me further into the far reaches of the lion's den. Each of these sensations are carefully crafted for different reasons but ultimately they'll influence you to spend more money. According to an online article, the sights and smells from the bakery and the flower store grab you right from the entrance. Huge carts are placed in a highly visible location at the entrance, making it likely you'll fill it up and spend more money. Large carts are also difficult to turn around causing you to venture directly through entire isles of things you don't need.  Brightly colored, glistening wet and fresh looking produce is placed just in view, drawing you to the first stop in the store. Here, you will buy all your healthy items first which will make you more likely to reward yourself later. Have you ever noticed how a grocery store will lightly mist their produce on display? You'd think it probably keeps it fresh and clean, right? Alas, too much moisture causes all your fresh fruits and veggies to rot more quickly. The mist is designed to make them sparkle and shine, and you to fill up a bag with them them. But that's only half of it. When you place a ripe wet fruit in your produce bag, it'll begin to go bad nice and quickly, forcing you back for more and then making it more likely you'll supplement your food supply with less perishable items. Finally, you've made it through the onslaught of temptations from left and right and you're at the last section to buy your favorite household staples; milk, butter and eggs. At this point, you've walked through the entire store and you'll have to walk through it again, but you're in no rush. Grocery stores play slow music leading you to take your time as you venture through the vast maze of food. You'll easily lose track of time and the number of items in your cart as you peruse the variety of deals and savings.
   

     This type of advertising is often focused on unhealthy food because of its addictive potential. It's difficult to break the cycle of eating delicious salty, fatty and sugary foods because of inherent evolutionary traits, as we discussed in class. This blatant disregard for the health and well being of people, specifically lower and middle class households, is comparable to that of cigarette manufacturers. Until 1971, tobacco companies were allowed to air misleading cigarette commercials on the TV and radio. As government regulations have tightened, ads involving cigarettes have become increasingly limited; they now have to rely on more subtle advertisements. According to an article from the Guardian, Big Tobacco companies such as Phillip Morris take advantage of "experimental marketing"  to cause people to associate certain cigarettes to types of people. Phillip Morris makes Marlboro Reds which are often associated with cowboys because of early television ads.  Now, they use this association to furnish bars with red, wild west themes for special events to advertise the brand without making it obvious and violating sponsorship bans. They would also set up smoking areas with lots of comfortable sofas in order to promote the idea of relaxing with a cigarette. Both food companies and tobacco companies also use brand placement in movies to imprint products in consumers' minds. This type of marketing is more commonly used with snack foods and restaurant chains. Despite the fact that this practice was outlawed for tobacco companies due to the November 1998 Master Settlement Agreement, the appearances of cigarettes in movies have risen quite a bit in recent years. While spokespeople for these corporations deny using these marketing techniques, studies show statistically insignificant changes in tobacco brand appearances in movies aimed at adolescent audiences, even though appearances have seemingly decreased for R-rated movies. Even still, one in ten movies contain tobacco brand appearances, one in eight of which are aimed at adolescents.

     While cigarettes are generally considered worse for one's health than 'junk food', less people smoke than eat chips. Only thirteen percent of high school students report regular tobacco versus nearly twenty percent of children between the ages of two and eighteen are considered obese. This presents a major problem in America.  In addition, according to an article in the New York Times, childhood obesity doubles one's chances of dying before the age of 55 of illness or self inflicted injury. Therefor, Should food companies have more stringent regulations on their advertisements or their use of harmful ingredients? Both tobacco companies and food companies sell products which have the potential to cause severe illness or death, yet one can be sold to anyone practically anywhere and advertised on anything, and the other is heavily controlled by government regulations. Is this ethical? People need food to survive. However, I believe that the government should follow a similar solution to the one they used to address the tobacco issue. Regulations on advertising and warnings describing the health risks of prolonged consumption of certain foods could reduce the number of premature deaths associated with the over-consumption of unhealthy food and additives in certain products, as well as promote healthier alternatives to fatty and sugary foods.
   
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