When Marketing is Just Propaganda Rebranded.

Some of you might recall that I’ve been involved in the branding and marketing business for most parts of my adult life. And I am sure that some of you reading this were colleagues. For so many years, I held many different titles while working in all sectors, from branding to advertising to media to strategy. But don’t let any of the creative pedigree or awards fool you.

It’s all still a horse of the same color. Simply;

My job was to get you to buy stuff.

If we were to remove the accolades and industry jargon/lingo and call it what it was, it would sound more like this:

I was in the business of behavioral changes. I was in the business of pulling wool over eyes. I was in the business of the attention economy. Of getting cult-like buy in. Of the tricks and trades of dark marketing. You know the way you identify yourself as a "____” (insert car brand) person? Welp, that was me.

I really only had one job. Simply;

Of increasing the bottom line.

Nobody sets out into the world as a blossoming, budding, tenderfoot, to be in the business of propaganda. Or at least, I can promise you; I wasn’t. In the early 2000s, long before the dawn of iPhones, I spent 10 months gallivanting around the world idealistically and happily studying the arts of writing, photography, and printmaking. It was just long enough for me to dis-remember what it was like in America— to be living with a constant feeling of being distracted and overstimulated. 

Before boarding the plane back home, I called my father. He warned me to watch out for culture shock. I, very condescendingly from a payphone, told my clearly totally out-of-it dad that I was headed home, not leaving for a new culture. Therefore there would be no culture shock. Duh. He let me have my ignorant say—and then laughed.

When I dragged my stale and run-down butt off the plane and into the airport terminal, it was as if I had stepped into another dimension. My eyes were deluged with posters, slogans, and glowing logos. My ears were permeated with the chaotic sounds of people yelling over Ricky Martin and Jennifer Lopez pop hits. The war of Pepsi vs. Coke was on full display. From the gate to the cab, movie posters, magazines, ads, and so much JLo: Jennifer with a coke, Bennifer across every magazine stand, Glow by JLo and, of course, Gigli. Was I being hypnotized or tortured? Or maybe it was both at the same time. 

It wasn’t until I was back up to my scoots in it, that it dawns on me that I had been blissfully living without advertising and marketing. Or American Consumer Capitalism.

So where is this short summary of my long journey taking us now?

Decades later, the advertising assault is status quo. I’ve become desensitized and reacquainted with the American-way. And for a long while I used my learned skills of storytelling, artistry, and empathy to become a part of the problem. But over the past few years my eyeballs and ears have been inundated with words of encouragement that are far less than encouraging. Every social media feed, wellness website, and advertisement in the subway makes me feel like I should be in a marathon sprint towards a better version of myself and my life—and if I’m not, I’m failing.

Fuel Your HUSTLE!...

Early Bird Catches the Worm...

Get It DONE!...

Like A Girl!...

Do It Now, YOLO...

#realbeauty...

Seize the Day!

Art by Folk Rebellion

Within minutes of opening up any news outlet that isn’t printed on paper, a brand-sponsored article comes up as “suggested.” Titles like "How to Be Awesome at Everything Because You’re Already Awesome," may seem well-meaning until you realize you don’t need to be awesome at everything and that it’s just a long-form advertisement.

We've got a societal advertising-masked-as-encouragement-empowerment-achievement problem and I, for one, am over it.

This achievement- and-encouragement-based marketing from brands like Dove, Nike, and Always have seeped into my life from every fucking corner. I see it now, like I saw that Pepsi vs. Coke war, and am just as stimulated and triggered by it as I was in the early 2000s with JLo in all her white bandana’ed, sparkly-hoop-earring-wearing, ass-tastic self.

I. Cannot. Unsee. It. And I intend to do something about it. 

Encouragement is awesome. I love it, and I hope to encourage people through a Very Folk Rebellion, but what they’re selling isn’t true empowerment—it’s empowertizing. Advertisers and marketers are profiting off of your self-doubt by letting you ever so subtly know on the regular that you can do better in some way, shape, or form. They know that your insecurity leads to their profits. 

It’s a vicious cycle of insecurities and striving. Shopping and seeking. We are conflating real personal growth and wellbeing with whatever huckster Gwyneth Paltrow throws our way. Because of course, if you’ve done the work instead of buying it, you are happy and don’t need her latest bullshit item to add to her bottom line, and take away from yours.

Now, if knowing their motivation in the most recent empowerment ads, femvertising, self-care, and body positive campaigns is profits - can you see through the smoke and mirrors?

Ultimately, companies are still trying to sell products and services, not trying to change the world—or, if we’re being generous, while they try to change the world. Yeah, no. I can’t even say that. I take that back.

So I pose to you some questions to mull over while you attempt to block out some noise:

• They tell us to HUSTLE. But what happens if you don't grind—and instead, surrender?
• They want us to REACH HIGHER. Is your achievement-based day-to-day a distraction?
• They MOVE THE CARROT. Could your striving and goal-reaching be a neverending void filler?

If you love your hustle, I hope you achieve it with balance. If you are trying to climb mountains of success, my wish for you is that it’s because you want to, not because some ad execs in a small room with a whiteboard concocted a campaign that has you thinking you have to. For as many days you spend waxing at the grind of achievement, creating, making, and doing, I hope you have days of just being, walking in nature, listening to your circadian rhythms, and spending time with your family.

Because in the end, that's all that we are here to do.

Marketing and advertising work. There are pictures of me wearing a white bandana and hoop earrings on more than one occasion. Thank god it was before digital cameras and social media.

I fucking love JLo. Always have. Always will.

Food for thought.

Originally featured on A Very Folk Rebellion, a newsletter for humans navigating the confusing crosshairs of real life and the new modern world. Part journalism. Part nostalgia. 100% over everything.