Modern society can be characterized as a globalized, dynamic, postindustrial, postmodern consumer society that cults the ability to buy and consume. Different people perceive consumerism as something good and useful, and at the same time, as something bad and destructive. The phenomenon of conspicuous consumption is defined as demonstrating social status and maintaining a reputation by consuming expensive goods. This acquires the character of a mass phenomenon, influencing the culture, and is of certain interest for considering it in advertising.
Advertising carries a culture of conspicuous consumption to the masses; today, more effort and money are invested in changing public consciousness. Previously, the task of advertising was to promote a product or service, now “the formation of the audience’s need” for this product (Maasik and Solomon 32). In modern realities, people are faced with aggressive marketing, where advertising should awaken in the consumer the many images that a product can create; to form an associative relationship between product – images – needs.
In the age of digital technologies and the Internet, the blogosphere, tied to advertising, at the heart of which is conspicuous consumption, is relevant. Social media are now one of the most sought-after advertising platforms around the world. Internet platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook are a way of interacting with the audience and serve as powerful tools for promoting a personal brand or customers’ goods and services.
Advertising accompanies almost all the content of the famous brand founder brand Kylie Jenner. Decorative and care cosmetics continue to gain popularity and conquer audiences with quality and a well-known name. In attempts to be like an idol, many want to get cosmetics because this means getting closer to what the celebrity herself uses. By high-priced advertising products, be it her cosmetics or other luxury brands, the star demonstrates her wealth and luxurious life, thereby drawing the attention of others to the material side of life and its importance. Such advertising pushes people to buy a product not to satisfy a need for food, clothing, or even education but to acquire a brand by showing others that they can do so.
This consumption pattern has its own characteristics, perpetuating cultural mythology. The influencer covers her own life, her views, and her moral attitudes on her blog, which may not correspond to the conservative ideas about the life of previous generations. Her image destroys stereotypes about race because race does not limit a person in achieving success in our time. It retains the stigma about female purpose and sexualization of the female body, in line with the expectations and desires of men to see a woman just like that.
The presentation of this mythology is different from advertising and the ways of obtaining information from the past. Today, when social networks reflect a person’s life to a fairly large extent, conspicuous consumption, in addition to the public sphere of a person’s life, has begun to concern his private life. In comparison, before, “to create the impression of a wealthy person,” it was enough to own an expensive car, have a big house, and dress in an expensive suit (Maasik and Solomon 30). Now one needs to demonstrate almost everything, even some too personal moments.
Advertising has already become boring for today’s generation, so brands are looking for new ways to express themselves. Hidden advertising in the video clips of stars is relevant and is precisely based on demonstrative consumption. Music videos are a concentration of brands, luxury life, parties, and rapper stereotypes. However, the described clip is an exception, having a massage that destroys stereotypes about gender.
In the video “Ain’t Your Mama,” there are several examples of conspicuous consumption in hidden advertising. There is product placement of Lavazza coffee brands, Peuterey down jackets, and Xtavia hairdryers. Beluga vodka appears in the frame after the characters in the video break the rules and stop serving men. Thus, the video illustrates the mainline from the chorus and, in principle, the message of the song and video. This display of advertising rather perpetuates the myth that high-value brands demonstrate status and material well-being by influencing consumer behavior (Goenka and Manoj 562). The analogy of this type of advertising did not exist in the past. It is a new way of promotion, characteristic of the age of technology and the availability of observing luxurious life. Still, due to the circumstances, it is impossible to achieve it. The integration of advertising and the music industry has results, as it is an opportunity to draw attention to the product.
To promote a product, the realities of the modern world provide new digital opportunities for companies to conquer an audience. Looking at the fashion industry, it should be noted Asos has added Virtual Catwalk to its popular iOS app. It allows one to bring the favorite bow with the help of a smartphone camera to the space next to a potential buyer. A virtual model appears on the page of the selected product, on which you can examine the clothes in detail from all sides and in motion. The function can be associated with conspicuous consumption because, due to the appearance of the model in the user space, customers get a deeper and more memorable experience of interacting with the brand. It can be noted that such a marketing move engages customers more than the normal viewing of a photo or video of a product while shopping online.
However, this advertising experience of the brand can be attributed to destroying the myth of conspicuous consumption. It is not obvious whether this feature will reduce the rate of returns of goods because it is impossible to see how the clothes will look on the customer. It can be concluded such “an advertising campaign destroys all gender, racial, and class stereotypes” since almost everyone can turn to this function and choose everything necessary, evaluating it almost visually (Maasik and Solomon 59). The emphasis here is on accessibility and greater audience response due to the digitization of the process (Bronner and Robert 89). In addition, it is a unique experience comparing the marketing of the past with the present; this is all possible thanks to the achievements of previous years in the industry.
In a consumer society, advertising is becoming one of the most important cultural institutions. It penetrates various entertainment areas; at the moment, the Internet is the most relevant platform for promoting and advertising a product. Conspicuous consumption, being a part of mass culture, cannot but influence the formation of the views and values of a modern person. The behavior and images broadcast by bloggers, celebrities, music videos, and advertisements to the masses set certain norms of behavior in society. Each advertiser, using mythology, addresses consumer behavior differently, influencing consumer emotion or trust. This is manifested in various forms of addressing the audience; in the music field, emphasis is on hidden advertising. The blogosphere is now a very effective tool for promoting by showcasing own experience and luxury life. To be like their idols, the audience adopts consumer behavior and purchases goods, even if there is no definite need for them. However, one cannot fail to note the tendencies free from stereotypes, to which society strives and gradually arrives. Moreover, it is difficult to argue that this phenomenon is dominant and cannot get rid of itself after a while.
Works Cited
Bronner, Fred, and Robert de Hoog. “Conspicuous Consumption and the Rising Importance of Experiential Purchases.” International Journal of Market Research, vol. 60, no. 1, 2018, pp. 88–103.
Goenka, Shreyans, and Manoj Thomas. “The Malleable Morality of Conspicuous Consumption.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, vol. 118, no. 3, 2020, p. 562.
Maasik, Sonia, and Solomon, Jack. Signs of Life in the U.S.A.: Readings on Popular Culture for Writers. Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2018.