What you should know about advertising & your self worth

In our fast paced, workaholic, consumer obsessed society now more than ever we are feeling immense pressure to look good, be slim, own the latest beauty products and the hippest bag all in an attempt to keep up with the Jones’ or should I say the Hiltons’. Australia, the UK and America are three of the richest countries in the world, but recent reports suggest that we feel far more deprived than our predecessors. The reason for this in part is due to our insatiable appetite for all things celebrity. We are bombarded with trivial information about the lives of the rich and famous. We often aspire to have the things that our favourite celeb has, whether it be a Gucci handbag or the latest pair of Jimmy Shoes.

Advertisers are fully aware of the power of celebrity endorsements and use them to sell everything from slimming aids to hair dye. L’oreal is a truly multinational company and boosts ownership of the Body Shop and luxury brands such as Ralph Lauren and Giorgo Armani beauty products. Their infamous slogan ‘because your worth it’ was reportedly developed to justify the higher costs of their products compared to other leading brands. The slogan has proved hugely successfully and creates the illusion that you deserve to treat yourself to L’oreal products, partly due to the celebrity endorsements. This links into our feelings of self worth and esteem and thus we feel that if we purchase the products by L’oreal we are in some way worthier than if purchased another brand. Take for instance the latest advert for the new L’oreal eye roller. The advert says one is sold every eight seconds and asks do you have yours yet. This has the intention of making the viewer feel like they are missing out on something. Very clever marketing that works.

Become aware of how advertising affects you and more importantly your feelings of self worth. There has been an increase in the number of psychologists now working in the field of consumer psychology to describe, predict and influence our buying decisions. As we are being bombarded with more and more choices, advertisers are finding new ways to play on our emotions and encourage that all important purchase.

At the same time as a rise in psychologists working in consumer psychologists, psychologists have seen a dramatic increase in the last ten years of clients who are addicted to shopping and cosmetic surgery. Clients are using these quick fixes to make themselves feel better, only to find that it is never enough. They need to make changes within in order to feel worthy without the latest bag or beauty fad.

If you know that you are influenced by celebrities to purchase the latest slimming aid or designer pair of shoes, gently probe a little more detail to discover why you feel this way. Are there parts of you that does not feel worthy or content with who you are? Why not ditch the beauty magazines with airbrushed celebrities and mute the adverts on TV and read something uplifting and inspirational instead. Remember you are a magnificent unique individual and you are worth it!