The Escapist Ad Challenge...

[Twilight_guy]

You do realize your clever plan will eventually lead to ads become useless thus the removal of ads and death of numerous websites that relies on ads to make money (like this one to an extent). Your attack on consumerism is just going to bite you in the ass it it really worked.

First off, I never said it was clever, and secondly even if it did work, I am sure the internet would find another way to survive without male enhancement pills.

I am amazed that not even one person is on board with this. And why does everyone think that this means you have to automatically stop buying EVERYTHING? Why does everyone love to be told what to do so much?

That "clever" bit was irony because I think your plan is dumb. More specifically I don't think you realize what this kind of behavior means. If you buy nothing that is advertised the people putting out the ads will eventually realize that they aren't working. At that point no company is going to waste money by pouring it into ineffective ads. Numerous websites and TV channels rely on the money from these ads to survive. If this source of income dries up then your favorite stations and websites are going to have to basically charge you or ask for donations. This system of fees and begging for money will cause websites to go under like nobodies business because many aren't willing to pay subscriptions or aren't generous enough to keep an entire site afloat with donations. The ramifications of your plan are more then just "make ads useless." Try to trace the eventually ramifications of your plan. Think, man, think!

 

[Radeonx]

You do realize your clever plan will eventually lead to ads become useless thus the removal of ads and death of numerous websites that relies on ads to make money (like this one to an extent). Your attack on consumerism is just going to bite you in the ass it it really worked.

First off, I never said it was clever, and secondly even if it did work, I am sure the internet would find another way to survive without male enhancement pills.

I am amazed that not even one person is on board with this. And why does everyone think that this means you have to automatically stop buying EVERYTHING? Why does everyone love to be told what to do so much?

Because you don't seem to understand the fact that EVERYTHING is advertised in one form or another.
See a box art for a game? That's advertising. See a product on a shelf? That's advertising.
Everything you buy is advertised at some point, making your argument of boycotting everything that is advertised idiotic and useless.
Not only would it be futile for you (Because you don't get any "Good" products that have been advertised), but if a bunch of people followed your plan it would ultimately damage the companies that produce good products and still advertise due to your boycotting.

 

[NooNameLeft]

Done.
actully, done 17*12 times

Anyone who is interested try this: Do not purchase anything for one month that you have seen advertised in any medium. Nothing from the internet television radio or print.

I have actually been doing this for years. I have never bought something I can remember the advertisement for. We will never get rid of the ads, but we all find them annoying. What would be better than making all that money spent on ad space a complete waste?

Done.
Actually, done 17*12 times.
I really don't like ads its like they made to be annoying (in matter of fact they do).

 

[Hero in a half shell]

I'm guessing you have never bought petrol or diesel before then, because thats advertised, where do you shop? because virtually all shops have advertisements, even independant retailers advertise in local papers, school magazines etc. What about paint, shampoo, deodorant, tyres, pencils, clothes.

To stop buying items deliberately because you see them advertised makes no sense, stop buying them if the product is crap, or if they screw you over. If the product is good quality, at a decent price, made as sustainable as possible, then go crazy.

 

[FrostyChick]

So no one here thinks there is a deeper psychology at work in modern advertising? Everyone just thinks that the billions of dollars spent every year on advertising is to make the funniest commercial for the super bowl and not to mind fuck you into buying shit you don't actually want?

Thought you folks would be a little more on the ball than that.

Of course there's a deeper psychology at work in modern advertisement, that's the whole point behind it. It's to suggest subtley (or at time not so) that the viewer NEEDS this product. Obviously advertisement works. Why else would companies spend millions on it? They're out to get money and they wouldn't spend it on trivial things that don't get them anything.
Personally advertisements very rarely encourage me to buy something. But that doesn't mean that that same advertisement didn't encourage anyone else to but that specific product. moral of the story, if you don't feel like buying something after watching an advert, then you either weren't the target audience or the advert was terrible.

 

[Elburzito]

I hardly pay attention to advertisements and when I do, there's usually a hell of a lot of research involved.

Also:

Um....Why? That makes no sense. Something doesn't magically become a waste of money just because it's been advertised. If I'm going to NOT buy something, it'll be because I don't WANT it. Not because...I saw an ad for it. That makes absolutely no sense.

What he said.

 

[Jonluw]

How about items that have genuinely funny advertisements?
I like the funny advertisements...

 

[solidstatemind]

The problem with this 'plan' is that it assumes that advertising has some sort of influence on your purchasing decisions. Maybe it does on the 'Sheeple' who can't think for themselves, but it doesn't on me, and therefore I would only be preventing myself from buying stuff that I was interested in, simply because of a foolish and impotent 'act of rebellion'.

Perfect example: Dead Space 2. I played the first one and enjoyed the hell out of it. As soon as EA announced that there would be a sequel, I knew I was going to buy it. However, since they advertised the shit out of the game, the OP's suggested ban would've prevented me from doing so, and as a result, I wouldn't have played the game 3 times through already (and am preparing to give the 'Hardcore mode' a try)... even though the advertising had absolute nothing to do with my purchasing decision.

Is advertising nefarious? Perhaps... but only if you 1) are clueless, or 2) let it be. I'd like to think that I'm a little more emotionally developed than that.

 

[Thundero13]

I don't watch or pay any attention to ads so this wouldn't affect me at all.

 

[Something Amyss]

Anyone who is interested try this: Do not purchase anything for one month that you have seen advertised in any medium. Nothing from the internet television radio or print.

I have actually been doing this for years. I have never bought something I can remember the advertisement for. We will never get rid of the ads, but we all find them annoying. What would be better than making all that money spent on ad space a complete waste?

So you're advocating rendering the Escapist's ad revenue useless on the Escapist forum.

This sounds like it's going to go well....

Anyway, ads don't do much for me. While I'm unlikely to buy something because I saw it in an ad, I'm certainly not going to stop buying things I like that I've seen in ads.

 

[USSR]

The ads aren't that bad.
Not all of them are bad either..
At least they advertise games instead of.. you know. Porn or soap.I've seen both on the same site <.<

It's how the escapist makes money.
The more money the escapist has, the less boredom I will have.

 

[killcheese]

If ads really bother you, then get a ad blocker for your browser and use a dvr or netflix for television. Just because you are faced with ads does not mean you need to see them. As for going out, driving and seeing billboards or the ads in bus stops, you are in public and i see no problem having companies advertise to a large public audience.

 

[spartan1077]

Excuse me? This is joke right? Why should we boycott every thing that advertises? What they want to do is advertise so then you know about it and buy it...if there was no ads then no one would know about anything and nothing would be bought. Also, the ads on sites is how they stay up(aside from subscriptions, donations) so NEVER USE ADBLOCKER! Ads=good.

 

[AmrasCalmacil]

The greatest thing the advertisers ever did was make you think you were immune to them.

 

[loc978]

While I hate what modern advertising has turned into, I don't think a boycott is the answer. Not only do most people not have the testi-intestinal fortitude to actually stick to such a boycott, it's unlikely that it would spread far enough to make a dent. Most people simply aren't well informed enough to make this decision and still survive.
...what I am for, though, is heavy taxation on all forms of media advertising.