Graphic Design Communication

Ilaria Salvatori

The Dark Age of Advertising

This animation focuses on the power imbalance between the advertiser and the consumer. It
highlights the manipulative and subversive tactics employed by mega corporations for the
purpose of maximizing their profits and retaining customer loyalty. With the rise of advertising
in our everyday lives, it is important to understand how advertising can influence our thoughts
and behaviors, especially when it comes to consumption and materialism.
Furthermore, the working class is often bombarded with advertisements during their daily
commutes, while watching television, or scrolling through social media platforms. These ads can
be misleading and may exploit the working class’s desire for a better life, leading to a false sense
of fulfillment through consumerism. Through this animation, it effectively illustrates the ways in
which advertisers manipulate the working class and create a better understanding of the impact
that these methods of manipulation can have on individuals and society as a whole.
The juxtapose between the eye and the mouse is used as a metaphor for the consumer and
advertiser, they work simultaneously to communicate the power imbalance between the two. An
ominous atmosphere was created to convey an uneasy environment in which the viewer would
be intrigued to watch on. Inspired by The First Things First Manifesto where Garland calls for a
reversal of priorities in the graphic design world, the constant glitching in the animation acts as
a vehicle for the malfunctions and flaws in the advertising world.

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