Let’s call it Instavism.
Marketing and advertising play a huge role in shaping our society — the way we see, think, understand and act. With over $180 billion spent on US advertising last year, the average American is exposed to over an hour of TV commercials, and as many as 5,000 ads every day. The advertising we’re constantly consuming paints a picture of society, thus shaping how we view ourselves and what many aspire to. So how does Instavism play a role in traditional media?
Traditional media knows it’s competing with social media more than ever. Designers are putting plus-size Instagrammers on their runways because their fan base proves there’s a huge market for more diverse body shapes. Lego is pulling its ads from the Daily Mail after the #StopFundingHate campaign. The Amazon show Transparent was criticized for its lack of trans writers and has since recruited trans activist @JacobTobia to work on the show.
Real differences are being made here: whether that’s shining a light on ignored problems, pushing for marginalized groups to have a say or pressuring businesses to do the right thing.
-Sarah Alexander
Project Manager