Consumerism and You

As individuals living in today’s society, we’re constantly surrounded by a vast array of options—products, services, experiences—all readily available and seemingly endless. The abundance can be overwhelming. And yet, once we finally make a choice, something interesting happens: we become unofficial ambassadors for the brand we’ve selected.

A logo is no longer just a corporate emblem; it becomes an extension of who we are. These symbols weave us into a broader conversation—one we may not have actively joined, but are very much a part of simply through our consumption. Every purchase signals a preference, a belief, an identity.

Put simply: we are what we buy, and we buy in order to be.

Consumerism stretches far beyond the boundaries of economics. It seeps into philosophy, cultural studies, and social behavior. But for the sake of focus, let’s stay within the realm of advertising—the engine room of modern consumerism.

As marketers and advertisers, how do we contribute to this ever-turning machine? Are we empowering choice or shaping identity? Are we guiding consumers—or defining them?

A Very Brief History of Advertising 

Some might recognize Papyrus as the infamous font from the Avatar movie posters, but its roots stretch further back—way back—to the early days of advertising. Some of humanity’s first “ads” were scrawled on papyrus, dating back to ancient Pompeii and Arabia. Imagine an ad for the world’s best pasta carbonara etched into a stone slab in the middle of Pompeii. That’s how long we’ve been in the business of selling ideas.

Of course, modern advertising as we know it didn’t take shape until the later part of the 20th century. As technology evolved, so did our ability to communicate with mass audiences. The radio allowed us to take to the airwaves, reaching individuals relaxing on their porches. Newspapers gave readers curated glimpses into daily life, forming rituals around headlines and coffee. And television? It brought whole families together in the living room, ready to absorb whatever stories—or brand messages—were broadcast each evening.

Today, advertising is everywhere. From digital placements on your favorite social feed to classic roadside billboards, the average person encounters hundreds—if not thousands—of ads each day, just by existing.

Consumerism and Advertising

If consumerism is the engine, then advertising is the fuel.

It’s the spark that lights desire, that turns a simple product into a promise. Advertising doesn’t just sell things—it sells meaning. It tells us that this car equals freedom, this phone means connection, this lotion is self-care, and this coffee shop is a lifestyle. It packages values, aspirations, and identity into bite-sized narratives we can buy into, literally.

In this way, advertising does more than reflect consumer behavior. It helps shape it. It gives us the language to describe what we want, how we want it, and even why we want it. At its best, it’s a creative force that taps into deep human truths. At its worst, it blurs the line between persuasion and manipulation.

We often like to think of ourselves as rational decision-makers, but advertising is rarely designed for logic. It plays to emotion. To impulse. To the subtle but persistent feeling that who we are might not be enough—unless we have this. And when that message is delivered to us thousands of times a day, across platforms and screens and environments, it begins to reshape not only what we buy, but how we see ourselves.

Yet, this is also where advertising shows its power, not just as a tool of commerce, but as a cultural force. It reflects the world we live in while simultaneously nudging it forward, one campaign at a time. It’s a feedback loop: consumer behavior informs advertising, and advertising, in turn, influences consumer behavior.

So what do we make of it? Is advertising the symptom or the cause? Is it reflecting our desires, or manufacturing them?

The answer is probably both.

A Reflection of Us

Where does this leave us? You and me. Us. The individuals we believe ourselves to be.

When we’re alone with the brands we’ve chosen, when the unboxing is done, the rush fades, and the dopamine dips, we’re left with one lingering question: Did I need to buy this, or did I simply want to?

If we, as consumers, are exposed to thousands of ads every single day, then the illusion of choice begins to blur. The line between autonomy and influence gets thinner. At times, it can feel like we’re being nudged, not deciding, led by carefully crafted messages designed to stir emotion, spark desire, and sell solutions to problems we didn’t even know we had.

This tension, between need and want, choice and influence, is the undercurrent of modern consumerism. It’s not just about what we buy. It’s about how those purchases shape how we see ourselves… and how we want to be seen by others.

And maybe that’s the most powerful truth of all: advertising isn’t just a reflection of culture. It’s a reflection of us. Of our values, our aspirations, our insecurities, our curiosities. It holds up a mirror—and sometimes, what we see staring back is not a product, but a portrait.

One shaped not just by what we consume, but by why we consume it.