Total Immersion

My first year of college, it was required that each student take a "Freshman Foundations" course. I chose a sociology course, taught by an existentialist professor who spent the semester convincing the class that free will was a myth and our desires were entirely driven by advertisements and the media. Don't get me wrong, it was a great class, but I took some of what he said with a grain of salt. (Like that I have no control over my thoughts).

Fast forward to about two weeks ago. I was relaxing on the porch with my roommates, and one told an interesting story. He said that Chris Brown had accidentally slipped the double-mint gum slogan into his song, "Forever," and instead of a lawsuit, Wrigley decided to make Brown a spokesman.
I wiki'd the story for accuracy:

"Forever" is actually an extended version of a commercial jingle for Doublemint gum, commissioned by an advertising company working for Wrigley. Brown first created the short version for the commercial, then extended and amended it into a full song during a recording session in February 2008, which was paid for by the gum company.^[2]


Wha? So a song was commissioned by an ad company? Interesting...

Fast forward to today at work. Some of my team members were talking about how Pitbull's song "Give Me Everything" was so awful because he rhymed the word Kodak with...(wait for it)...Kodak. Google the lyrics. They are dumb. I promise.

Luckily, at work we have access to lots of inside information (what ad agencies work with which companies, contract terms and compensation information). We did some research, and, sure enough, Pitbull has a contract with Kodak. Burned again!

I have noticed an increase of ads in places ads shouldn't be. In a TV show, the camera will zoom in on whatever brand of drink the characters are drinking or the type of car they're driving in the epic chase scene (is the fact that a Ford Focus out-drove the evil vampires relevant?).

The line between ads and other forms of entertainment is blurring. (One point for existentialist professor.) However, despite what has been shoved down my throat through the radio and TV waves, I still have no desire to chew double-mint gum or use/buy Kodak products. Let's call this one a draw.