Underneath the Lights of Time Square

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     On my recent trip to New York, I spent a good amount of time in Time Square. When I first walked into that vibrant, loud, chaotic space, there was so much that hit me all at once. Ads for clothing brands, the Disney store, and TV shows all incessantly competing for my attention, hoping that I will buy into their brand.
     But once that initial awe settled in, I took a good look around, and I came to notice many things. 
I realized that they were all subconsciously placing their brands in the back of our minds, trying to plant a seed that will continue to grow until we remember their name the next time we want to buy a purse. They are searching for ways to be remembered, to stand out from the muddled noise and blurred colors of the endless amount of signs. 
     I had never seen so many ads all concentrated in such a way. This caused me to wonder which type of advertising is most effective: a heavily concentrated group of ads, or having them consistently distributed throughout the course of our day. I feel that having them all bunched together takes away from the overall impact of an ad, because there is so much happening that our brains tune them out. I believe that advertising companies would find more success by placing their ads in a place less disorganized and chaotic. I thought about those ads we find in the weirdest places; on the back of our milk cartons, in the back of a cab, on the walls of a high school. I feel that those do a better job of planting that seed; of becoming a part of our subconscious.
     I have always questioned the motives of ads, and have seen that a lot of the thinking behind it is unethical. First off, it is feeding into the already booming system of capitalism our country is sadly dependent on. Advertising is now primarily based on getting our money into the pockets of big business owners, who have more money than they will ever truly need. I completely understand the advertising of small businesses in order to gain exposure and ground, but I dislike how it often develops into a corrupted business of power and greed. 
     I also wonder how the prominence of ads has impacted our development and outlook on the world. Commercials and advertisements have been a big part of my life, and I have vivid memories of asking my mom for every toy that came up during the commercial breaks on Disney Channel. I think it may have impacted the materialistic nature our society has adopted, and our dependence on products in everyday life. There has also been a large hype placed around giant brands, and to many people these brands are a big part of their lives.
     Overall, I think Time Square is a great representation of the current state advertising is in, and reveals a lot about our own connection to the advertising industry.

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