MWF 3-4:20pm Blog Post 4

By documenting all the advertisements I watched I noticed that my life is very predictable. I watch only two television channels Monday through Friday: The CW and NBC, I tend to listen to the same Taylor Swift station on my Pandora, and I only go to three buildings on campus: the Student Union Building, Old Main, and Golden Bear South (my apartment). I came to the conclusion that because my life has repetition so does the advertisements I am exposed to. I am so familiar with the advertisements that I do not mine seeing them over and over again. The advertisements have become a part of my daily routine.

While walking to work I will pass by the breezeway of my apartment building and see posters on the bulletin board advertising all kinds of activities that are happening this month on campus. I make a mental note to go see that free movie, or attend that workshop, or to join a club or organization but I never do. I just journey on to Old Main where I work.

While in Old Main I work at my desk in the parking office and listen to my Pandora. Every time a song shuffles I hit the thumbs up button to let the music genius’ who run the site know that I approve and in exchange on the side they show me an ad. The ads can be anything from small businesses to events in happening around the world to big companies like Virgin Mobile and Old Navy.
When I get back to my apartment at the end of my day I usually tune into The CW or NBC where I am exposed to the most advertisements. The ads all repeat themselves. They all revolve around electronics, shopping, cars, and hygiene. I imagine that for most people these are the things that make them happy; having a nice car, looking and smelling good, buying clothes and shoes that they may or may not be able to afford, and a nice cell phone that does absolutely everything except for make phone calls.

I was left wondering whether or not I control what I buy in my life or if the advertisements I see sneak into my conscious and controls it for me. I don’t drive but if I did I would love a Ford Focus because it’s my favorite car commercial. I buy Dove products because they care about real beauty. I use the Simple skin care line because nothing in American worked for me. I use Covergirl makeup products because I love Drew Barrymore, Taylor Swift, Ellen, and Sophia Vergara. Virgin Mobile is my cell phone carrier and my clothes are from Old Navy and Kohl’s. I guess the answer to the question for me would be that it’s hard not to be influenced by the advertisements I see when they are so much a part of my daily life.