Friday 15 February 2013

Spirit in the Sky


An enduring cliché in the world of advertising is the spirit in the sky that imparts a celestial presence to an otherwise banal scene. An overarching symbol of wisdom or power floats in the heavens – an ethereal deity that guides the corporate destiny. In another approach we see the guiding hand of lifelong experience transmitting hard won skills through the generations. It’s all part of the eternal struggle to develop a corporate soul that can speak directly to the consumer’s innermost sense of identity. At least in the 1950s there remained some residual respect for the intelligence of the audience. Today’s advertisers are ever more confident that even the most odious, cold-hearted, exploitative businesses can be presented to the public as their best friend with the aid of a few cuddly toys, an ingratiating regional accent and an intensely irritating jingle interminably repeated. 






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