Advertising...Everything

Advertising is today's most influential form of communication.

It accounts for billions of dollars of spending every year which in turn generates many more billions into the pockets of those who advertise. Ads are judged during the Superbowl, Brands are catapulted into our heads on buses and trains, and the average American can expect to see most metropolitan roads littered with billboards.

With so many messages out there it seems everyone and everything is being promoted.

The USA Government is no exception. Their promoting Marriage.

I'll let that sink in.

It is a true wonder that this initiative is being continued in our current economic state. While the Obama administration continues to furiously work to block bonus money going to AIG executives and other workers, it seems odd that they would spend money on developing an advertising campaign for a traditional institution such as marriage. (To even party lines, the initiative was first developed and passed by the Bush administration.) While perhaps the divorce rate is higher than it was during the crusades, the threat of death from the church is no longer prevalent in our community which means marriage is viewed in a very different way. However the advertising campaign isn't targeting divorce. Or issues such as gay marriage. It's solely about getting married. One reporter, Sharon Jayson, said it was merely a declaration of "research suggests a bevy of benefits for those who marry, including better health, greater wealth and more happiness for the couple, and improved well-being for children". Those are the reasons we're spending a six-seven digit big chunk of money on promoting. Happier lives. For those of us still dealing with the economic problems in the real world, it seems our government is still figuring we'll just pay for the bail outs latter.