Deeply embedded in North American culture is this notion of individuality. To most North Americans, being an “individual” is an essential part of being a human. Our attitudes, music tastes, clothing choices, and political affiliations are just a few things that determine who we are as individuals.
This quest for uniqueness,that North Americans take, is ideal for advertisers. Capitalism provides consumers with a plethora of buying options. Knowing a consumer’s aspiration to be distinct and original, advertisers market these goods accordingly. Dr. Strangelove discusses that in the post modern world of advertising, rational appeals for products in advertisements are uncommon. Most advertising today attaches meaning with a product. The image of the product is inextricably linked to the product itself.
Macintosh doesn’t just sell computers, it sells a personality. When you buy a Macintosh computer you’re not just buying electrical parts, you’re buying something that signifies that you’re young, liberal and hip. When you pick up your daily Starbucks coffee, you’re saying, “hey world – I’m professional, I’m urban – look at me!” People often buy products in order to form their indentity and to set themselves apart from the crowd. These products, marketed to provide said identity and uniqueness, have a paradoxical effect. Buying these products, in the search for individuality, results in conformity to a group. Buying a Mac and drinking Starbucks lumps you in with millions of other Mac buying, Starbuck drinking people out there. True individuality is not something that can be purchased with a Visa card. Luckily for advertisers, there are a fair number of consumers who have yet to realize this.
