Ad Overload

I went to the beach with my boyfriend not long ago for a weekend to have a little relaxation time.  As we were walking onto the sand one day, getting ready to pick a spot to sit, we noticed a small plane flying over the water.  Attached to this plane was a banner for Geico insurance featuring their signature gecko with the slogan, "Save money" (pictured below).  My reaction time wasn't great, so this picture doesn't really reflect how big it was.

I think we both had the same reaction...really?

Is there no place that you can escape from advertising anymore?  Even a peaceful beach can become tainted with the motive to sell something.  There is no place of refuge, even in nature.

I recently watched Morgan Spurlock's documentary, "The Greatest Movie Ever Sold," exploring product placement in movies, while also funding the entire movie with said product placements.  I recommend it to anyone interested in advertising.  It is understandable that product placement is necessary to fund film projects and that it can be very beneficial to companies to get more exposure for their product.  However, the film was really eye opening as to how much control companies can ask for in these contracts.  The money is necessary to make the movie, but eventually the movie is much less of what the director intended and a whole lot more of what the sponsors dictated, which is a sad thought for the future of film.  It leaves the viewer to question, is there really any true art anymore?

Advertising is so prevalent and intrusive these days.  Advertisers have thought of it all.  There is hardly a blank surface to be found in the world around us that isn't covered in an ad.  And because of this, we are learning to tune out more and more.

The more we get used to these things and learn to ignore their placement, the more companies have to scream out and beg for our attention...and the more ridiculous their strategies become.  This leads to injecting their products into the most sacred of places, like the beach and our other favorite escapes from reality.

So here I sit and wonder, when did advertising become "loud" and overpowering instead of creative? And do these "loud" ads actually work?