romanticizing reality

I was reading the news the other day at work and I came across an advertisement that was embedded in the article I was reading. At first glance I knew nothing about the organization shown in the ad, so I did some further research and visited a couple more sites relating to the foundation I discovered was called, "Swab the World." I learned that it's a platform that is trying to raise awareness and encourage people to donate stem cells in order to save the lives of patients struggling with rare types of cancer (blood cancer). Interestingly enough, your ethnicity matters, and there is a notable lack of Asian and African-American donors. 

Anyways, I am not writing this in order to inform you about the foundation, but rather to share some thoughts I had about the advertisement itself. Advertising is such an intriguing topic, and I've always noticed them and spent time analyzing their tactics from time to time. We are completely overwhelmed by advertisements during all waking hours of the day, so I will also admit that for the majority of the time I try and block them out completely. 

This ad in particular struck me right away, because I found it interesting how they romanticized cancer, almost. Romanticized the act of donating your stem cells and giving that patient "the kiss of life." Especially with cancer being such a terrible, life-robbing disease, I found it even more intriguing how this ad still strives to appeal to the human in us. The innate human drive to be loved and feel loved. Everything is about the romance, and this is not a new phenomenon by any means. You see it everywhere, and I'm sure you're familiar with the saying, "sex sells." Sadly, it's true. We are in a visual world where our primitive senses are constantly being appealed to. 'Wear this cologne and you'll attract beautiful women.' 'Use this toothpaste and you are guaranteed to find a companion and be happy together the rest of your lives.'

Why is it that the physical world is so appealing to us. That instead of focusing on giving a sick person the hope and opportunity of continuing to live another day, the marketing team behind this advertisement has decided to focus solely on the physical action of a kiss. As if giving them the chance to take innumerable breaths isn’t enough of a reward, but wait, you can lock lips with someone as well.

Isn’t it interesting how “love” always seems to be the most effective way to get people’s attention. How driven we are as a species to be shown affection and to feel a sense of belonging. I put “love” in quotations because this ad isn’t really displaying love, but rather the act of pulling someone into an embrace, leaving the viewer with the implication of love; the implication of having the opportunity to attain love.  

Don’t get me wrong, I love love. I am a hopeless romantic and I am not saying that being driven by love is a negative reality, however this advertisement just doesn’t sit right with me. To me, it gets tiresome living in a world that is constantly sexualized. Over and over again we see ads displaying some sort of visually appealing person, and we have to search way too hard to figure out how the shirtless being in the ad has any connection to the product being sold.

As we are shown in this case, it’s not just about selling products, it’s about selling life. The gift of life. Donating your stem cells to save another person. What a beautiful thing, right? So why choose an advertising approach that only narrows in on the sexualized act of companionship?

If you decide to become a donor you are deciding to put someone before yourself. You are making a conscious choice to give someone something that is slowly slipping out of their grasp. Hope, courage, strength, joy.

Love.

The kind of love rooted firmly and deeply within each and every one of us that demands connection, and that we cannot live without. The love that finds it’s foundation in late night conversations in the kitchen, and being tucked in every night before bed. Love that sticks around through the impossibility of sickness and the rejuvenating opportunity of a second chance. The complete and fulfilling kind of love.

The love that is situated far beneath the surface of a single kiss.

Is it really too much to advertise that? To advertise what it means to be alive, to be living. To enjoy the simple pleasures and be filled with gratefulness after looking death in the face. In my opinion, that is what this foundation should be promoting: life.

The difficult part is encompassing all this in a single visual, I understand that, but here’s some food for though for you to start the week. I noticed it, and I was compelled by it and I guess the ad did its job if it got my attention.

I challenge you to think about it as well. Opinions welcomed and encouraged, as always.

A