After watching The Persuaders, my trip to the mall opened my eyes to the various techniques and features of the mall that draw shoppers in. As I was walking around, I saw a slew of messages and advertisements that I would have normally passed by without a second glance. For example, there were many trees around the mall making it a relaxing and comfortable atmosphere. The Starbucks nestled among the trees gives you a feeling of relief and is a good way for people to relieve stress from shopping. The Persuaders movie reminded me that these trees were here to capture a peaceful and calm ambiance. As I walked through the mall, I noticed all of the advertisements plastered in the storefront windows, drawing people in to come and get the good deals that won’t last long. I also saw advertisements that just stood still in the main area of the wall, like this picture for the new shape-ups. The mall utilizes all of its space to advertise anything that it can. This brief experience of simple observation enlightened me on the subtle hints that the mall uses to make us consume more and more things.
I'm glad you were able to see the mall with new eyes. I wouldn't say making a mall relaxing and comfortable is bad in itself (why would we want to shop in an uncomfortable place?); however, the mall isn't really a very relaxing place when it comes down to it. It's almost as though we need all of the calming stuff to convince us that the craziness of all the ads is normal.
ReplyDelete