Abstract:

This paper describes a philosophical conflict that is underway and present at all levels of our culture today. The conflict is between a traditional framework for understanding truth and reality, and a second, increasingly important paradigm that valorises relative, subjective experience. In the light of this epic conflict, the authors look at consumer relationships with advertising and brands. This paper examines: popular culture and politics; The Truman Show, No Logo, The Matrix; the divergent approaches of contemporary consumer and brand theory; numerous examples from advertising, including Guinness and Budweiser campaigns; consumer language and behaviour; sociolinguistics and group dynamics. Tools to investigate and understand the struggle in the minds of today’s consumers are proposed. The paper further speculates on the eventual resolution of this dialectic.