Graphic Designs effect on Consumerism
Consumerism is the desire for goods that are not essential, the asperation for luxury. But how has graphic design had an impact on consumerism?
Consumerism is encouraged through the use of advertisements and marketing. The first advertisements were not like the ones we would see today. They would appear in newpapers along descriptions and not include many visual elements. We began to see more visual adverts in the late 19th century when colour printing became more common and cheap. Posters became a popular method of attracting consumers. This however has caused people to question the ethics behind advertising. Are they manipulative?
I believe adverts are manipulative as they try to target consumers unconscious and making us feel like we need to be able to achieve unrealistic goals and thierproduct is the only way of doing that. In a way advertisements have to rely on our insecurities in order to persuade us to buy. From the example images shown you can see that this is not a new way of advertising. Although the examples may seem exaggerated they are still manipulative adverts.
