Spirit of Ad-Venture
A journey through my Ad land...

Adverts, it seems that there are more of them than stars in the sky. Their purpose, to sell you, the hopefully credulous consumer, products or awareness of some cause or information they feel needs bashing into your thick skull, albeit on occasion, with a not very subtle visual hammer.
Over the years I have to say advertisers and their respective art minions have become very skilled. Indeed they have come a long way from the bland, trite offerings delivered at the birth of the television set. Stereotypes still linger in the ad world, however the scale, budget, tricks, scripting and excitement quotient have increased exponentially.

I myself am quite attached to the mythical, magical and overblown world that advertisers routinely weave and manufacture for our viewing pleasure. It's less about what they are trying to convey, and more about the absolute exuberant effort and excitement with which they render their ideas. They hold a mirror up to our world, yet the reflection is shattering and stunningly different. This world is bold and bright, boasts an exciting soundtrack, and to top it all off, unimaginable, improbable things are suddenly possible.

Where else on God's green earth could we imply that using a certain brand of underarm deodorant will result in being voraciously pursued, romantically by hundreds of feral women. Similarly the brand of car you have isn't going to make you into a more adventurous or courageous individual. Mind you who doesn't like a dynamic, moody shot of a car parked on the edge of a cliff, it's face being battered by turbulent tempestuous waves. Hell I don't drive, have no intention of ever learning to drive, yet seeing such visual eye candy makes me want to beat feet down to the nearest Ford dealership post haste.

Growing up I can chart various phases of my life from the advertisements that were shown and discussed within my friends and family. Adverts that didn't achieve their prime purpose to sell, nevertheless made an impact on my often distracted, disheveled brain. I like most people couldn't recite verboten the script of a much loved film from childhood, however I, as well as a number of my circle of friends can sing the K Ora advert word perfect. Sometimes late at night, when insomnia calls. I often muse that should I be lucky enough to enter old age, there