Why we believe and want people to believe and does it shape the advertising we create, how we promote our selves and our culture.
The wise say that we we shouldn’t believe the hype. But it was the T-shirts of 3 losing teams in the recently concluded World Cup that were supposed to be on the top at the World Cup rankings that got me thinking. We shouldn't believe the hype. But in advertising (I am a copywriter who has worked for several ad agencies), I often meet people who end up smoking their own stash.
It is considered as part of the job. One is encouraged to believe. The ones who do are the only ones who are good at advertising and those who don’t do that sooner or later drop out of the race.
This is not just restricted to advertising, it’s a fact of life in everything. We need to believe in something and the ones who can afford to send cars with crash test dummies to space and experiment with data collection and use. Even if we can’t afford it, we find a way. Also, failure doesn’t usually stop us in the pursuit of our goals. When it doesn’t deliver we move on quite fast and create new beliefs and goals to chase.
Maybe that is why my favourite stories are no longer books, films and other crafted stories but watching people in love with their beliefs, ideas and dreams. I suspect that it is what most people in the age of social media knowingly or unknowingly like or are addicted to.
It’s fascinating about how people with strong beliefs try different ways to rise and stand apart from what the ordinary as well as the clutter created by the others who seek to express themselves. For example, here is a set of the posters you will find at Tilak Nagar Station, Chembur and other stations of the Harbour line in Mumbai. It has this nameless transgender person who has posed with several brands, a favourite cool drink, a favourite whiskey (DSP Black), as a Godman, etc.
How is it different from what we do on social media?
