Summer doesn’t mean you have to take a break from advertising.

What if I told you that promoting political parties, candidates, and issues are really no different than how a brand markets and promotes themselves? I know that something like this can sound insensitive when discussing something as meaningful as determining who deserves your vote, but hear me out. What is a vote anyway? Merriam Webster defines a vote as “a usually formal expression of opinion or will in response to a proposed decision”. While not necessarily as consequential as selecting someone to be President, isn’t shopping for and buying a new car also a decision that requires thought, research, diligence and consideration?

If someone had asked you 20 years ago what your most valued appliance was, I highly doubt you would have said “mobile phone”. In fact, had you been told that you would be completely dependent on something that at most is 18 square inches and weighs less than a half a pound, you would have laughed.

I love to travel. I love visiting new cities, staying in different hotels, people watching at the airport. I especially love watching local ads on television in whatever new city I am visiting. Knowing that every city has their own version of a local car dealership with their kitschy jingle never ceases to amuse me (don’t lie, you love them too). While they are entertaining, they are in no way relevant to my life. I’m not going to buy a car there, nor am I going to hire someone to replace my windows and siding in a different city from where I live.

I have a confession to make. I am the daughter of one of the biggest nerds of all time. Growing up, my dad was obsessed with recording every movie and TV show that struck his fancy on TV to save for posterity. He then would make note of the hour and minute counter on each VHS tape so he knew exactly how much room he had left on any given VHS tape and also so he could effortlessly fast-forward on each tape to the selected program. Scribblings on each tape label quickly turned into a full catalog, which he was constantly updating.