When people go to the mall they likely aren’t looking to buy the most comfortable shoes or outfits that are offered. Typically for the high school or college aged man and woman, you are buying what is trendy. The thought is that putting on the high heels will get you on the red carpet, or lacing up your LeBron’s will give you a 40-inch vertical leap. But that’s what brands are banking on. They are hoping that individuals will ignore the faults of a brand, and look at who is wearing what. To quote the film, “true product isn’t product itself, it’s a lifestyle.”

A brand isn’t the products they sell, it represents something bigger. When we think of Nike, we don’t think of the hard labor that goes into its production or the outsourcing to Korea and Taiwan where people work for less than a dollar a day. And as sad as it is, that’s not what 90% of consumers care about. It seems to be more important who is wearing what when we turn on the TV. No one knows the salary or living conditions of the people making our shoes, but we do know that LeBron James and Kobe Bryant are what’s popular in men’s athletics right now. All we need to do is open a magazine to see them decked out in the latest Nike attire. The picture above is of a LeBron James commercial, nowhere in the ad do we see any Nike related apparel. The only things we see representing the company are the “Swoosh” and LeBron himself. This is because; it’s not the item that they are aiming to sell. But as we saw in the video, what companies and brands are now selling is the “metaphor for the American dream” (which as we know is success). LeBron and Kobe clearly have that, and Nike has wasted no efforts to make them seen.

                The adage that sex sells has become very popular among commercials and billboards. Many products and/or brands that are becoming popular are geared toward males between the ages of 18-25. And what is almost always on that demographics mind? Nothing more than sex itself. There are no place that it has become more apparent than in car and deodorant commercial. They aren’t aiming to sell a car based on its features, or sell a deodorant based on how it smells; they are trying to sell a lifestyle. What they do show in these commercials is a beautiful woman sitting next to the sharp man driving a luxury car, or many sexy girls paying attention to the dork after he puts on his Old Spice deodorant.

                I can’t say that these techniques aren’t catchy, because they do grab your attention. But no, driving that car won’t solely pick up girls for you, and I’m sorry, but spraying on AXE won’t have three girls jumping into bed with you. But that’s the age we live in; companies and brands are selling “fantasy.”