Advertising discourages people from being different individuals by making us want to be and to look the same. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

An often debated topic is whether advertising has a major influence on the growing similarity of people’s lifestyle in the modern world. Personally, I partly agree with this opinion for a number of reasons. On the one hand, the power of advertising is undeniable. The growth of the advertising industry has resulted in many people buying products of the same manufacture, which can be seen in the case of consumer goods. Today, the advertising campaigns of multinational companies such as Unilever have been so successful that their products almost dominate the market. Smaller enterprises tend not to be able to compete with these giant market leaders due to their disadvantages of capital poured into advertising programs. Thus, costumers are often swayed to buy products of famous brands rather than those made by less well-known companies. On the other hand, it is also true that people have the tendency to copy others’ lifestyles without being affected by advertising. For example, it is valid to argue that many young people are trying to emulate the fashion styles of their idols. Many Vietnamese youths manage to purchase the same clothes, dye their hair and wear the same perfume as their stars do. People can also turn to their social relations for advice when they need to buy something. For instance, junior citizens usually ask their friends before they come to a final decision on buying a smart phone. In conclusion, it is true that advertising has bridged the gap between each individual’s lifestyle in modern society. However, I believe that it is not the sole factor that contributes to the trend.