Just when you think the ads are gone, they pop up in unexpected places.
In this Reddit post on the r/a******design subreddit, a user shared a photo of a fortune cookie fortune. However, instead of predicting the future or offering insightful sayings, that “fortune” was an ad for ZipRecruiter.
In a world already flooded with advertising, companies seem to do whatever it takes to encourage consumption of their products. Whether it's an ad in a cookie, floating in the ocean at the beach, or flashing in front of you as you move, we're constantly driven to consume.
Considering this, is advertising good for the environment?
An organization called Purpose Disruptors strives to use advertising for the benefit of the planet. “Our mission is to drive climate change in the advertising industry,” says the company's website, which aims to drive profit rather than over-consumption.
One of the ways Purpose Disruptors is changing the advertising landscape is by actually calculating the carbon pollution associated with ad-influenced purchases and calling it “ad emissions.” By tracking and calculating the indirect emissions caused by advertising, advertising agencies can be held accountable for their role in overconsumption. Purpose Disruptors has calculated that the advertising industry is responsible for 208 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2022.
Commenters on the post shared their anger and frustration at what feels like a constant barrage of ads trying to get people to buy or use their products.
“Why do we use fortune cookies? Is it effective marketing? Would anyone see an ad for a fortune cookie and feel anything other than contempt?” one user asked.
“Another company sucking the fun out of something else,” someone else commented.
A third user joked: “That's a shame.”
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