Advertising: Culture and Identity

There are particular moments that I can look back upon and think to myself "yes, that advertisement directly affected my thinking"; something basic like going and buying an ice cap from Tim Horton’s after seeing one on TV. However, I think it's safer to assume that advertising that has influenced our culture as a whole has had a deeper and more subtle effect on my personality and identity more-so than any individual ad I have seen, read, or watched.
This idea was reinforced by reading the article by Kilbourne and her examination of the cultural norms reiterated by perceptions portrayed in ads everywhere. By explaining the “more you subtract, the more you add” strategy behind advertising, to see its affect in your own life can be staggering. I can now look back and see decisions I have made based on the idea that my identity or personality is lacking in a way based on a culturally perceived norm; such as being quieter (such as on page 138 of the article, which talks about a perfume ad using the copy “Make a statement without saying a word”). It’s subtle, but it’s a worthwhile observation: based on cultural ideas about girls, I’ve even found myself more apt to find a girl obnoxious and a guy funny even though both might be acting in the exact same manner. Can anyone else say they have felt the same way about this kind of behaviour?
In the same way, I expect certain behaviours from guys based on the norms reinforced in advertisement. Whether these norms are right or wrong are not the point of this observation, but nonetheless they exist, such as expecting a broader knowledge on cars, brands and their parts, or brands of beer. I like beer, but I still innately find it to be more of a male drink even when drinking it. Is this a result of advertising solely? Or has advertising taking an existing cultural idea and made it stronger.

Reiteration of cultural norms in advertising can be applied beyond gender stereotypes. One that comes to mind is environmentalism. (Disclaimer: I do not think environmentalism is a bad thing!) But I do see the effects advertising has on the Western cultural ideas about pro-Earth agendas. Something like the following global warning advertisement (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-_LBXWMCAM ) reinforces ideas about the Earth and humanity. By associating the little girl with future generations, there is a sense that by protecting the planet, we can protect the innocence of generations to come. Whether true or not, replacing a whole generation of people with the image of a little girl influences our thinking. From a semiotic point of view, we begin to replace ideas with associated images, arbitrary or not (indexical or symbolic) to form ideas and truths. Good, bad, right or wrong, it stands to say that I have been personally affected by advertising on a level that I can’t even fully deconstruct.