Advertisements
In recent times, we see more and more media coverage on food. From advertisements through the televsion to magazines and newspapers, any information on food is made accessible to us whether we like it or not. TV commercials often comprise of fast food restaurants' advertisements to those for restaurants. Some famous lines that we often hear on TV and even people talking about it on the streets would include some of the following:
For MacDonald's,
"I'm loving it!"
For Pizza Hut and KFC,
"Mummy, what are we having for dinner?"
For Canadian Pizza,
"Two-for-one!"
These are but the few that are more commonly heard. There are also advertisements for places like Yum Cha Restaurant where dim sum is served, and Tian Tian Huo Guo, a steamboat place. In fact, snacks have also found their way to the televsion screen, with the most recent being the snacks under the brand of Wang Wang from Taiwan. Food has already been made readily available all around us yet these advertisements are there to continually tempt us into buying more and snacking more than we actually need.
Primetime TV from 7pm to 10pm daily is when most people are watching programmes in front of the television. We cannot deny that technology has caught up with our lives and that many of us are self-proclaimed TV addicts who can rattle off daily programmes and their timeslots, and there are even people who know many commericials by heart! We have been immersed in TV culture without knowing it. As such, advertisements have a large role to play in promoting their products. A research finding has also shown that when more food is displayed in front of a person, the individual tends to eat more than if most of the food were kept out of sight. So the saying goes, "Out of sight, out of mind." Much help this does when the media does non-stop coverage on food. Furthermore, when celebrities help to advertise, then the demand for food would grow, as exemplified by Justin Timberlake's "I'm Lovin' It" song that MacDonald's is using. Likewise, Jessica Alba's endorsement of Tiger Beer would also be likely to increase sales for the product.
If anyone has wondered how Singaporeans' love for food came about, we must admit that the media has an extensive role to play. It is somewhat difficult to think about staying fit and healthy while maintaining a good figure (just look at all the slimming centres and pills available in the market) is possible when food is all around us. Sometimes, we may just need to take a step back and concede defeat to the prowess of media coverage. In as much as reel life may differ from real life, the media's role remains significant as people continually strive to have the dream life as the media portrays. That ideal life is signified by mass media, the signifier.
So much said, we now know that a large part of our food culture developed because Singaporeans are always on the prowl for more new dishes, especially after they have been advertised on TV. Advertisements sure have their way of enveloping us in a world of consumerism from which escape seems futile.
For MacDonald's,
"I'm loving it!"
For Pizza Hut and KFC,
"Mummy, what are we having for dinner?"
For Canadian Pizza,
"Two-for-one!"
These are but the few that are more commonly heard. There are also advertisements for places like Yum Cha Restaurant where dim sum is served, and Tian Tian Huo Guo, a steamboat place. In fact, snacks have also found their way to the televsion screen, with the most recent being the snacks under the brand of Wang Wang from Taiwan. Food has already been made readily available all around us yet these advertisements are there to continually tempt us into buying more and snacking more than we actually need.
Primetime TV from 7pm to 10pm daily is when most people are watching programmes in front of the television. We cannot deny that technology has caught up with our lives and that many of us are self-proclaimed TV addicts who can rattle off daily programmes and their timeslots, and there are even people who know many commericials by heart! We have been immersed in TV culture without knowing it. As such, advertisements have a large role to play in promoting their products. A research finding has also shown that when more food is displayed in front of a person, the individual tends to eat more than if most of the food were kept out of sight. So the saying goes, "Out of sight, out of mind." Much help this does when the media does non-stop coverage on food. Furthermore, when celebrities help to advertise, then the demand for food would grow, as exemplified by Justin Timberlake's "I'm Lovin' It" song that MacDonald's is using. Likewise, Jessica Alba's endorsement of Tiger Beer would also be likely to increase sales for the product.
If anyone has wondered how Singaporeans' love for food came about, we must admit that the media has an extensive role to play. It is somewhat difficult to think about staying fit and healthy while maintaining a good figure (just look at all the slimming centres and pills available in the market) is possible when food is all around us. Sometimes, we may just need to take a step back and concede defeat to the prowess of media coverage. In as much as reel life may differ from real life, the media's role remains significant as people continually strive to have the dream life as the media portrays. That ideal life is signified by mass media, the signifier.
So much said, we now know that a large part of our food culture developed because Singaporeans are always on the prowl for more new dishes, especially after they have been advertised on TV. Advertisements sure have their way of enveloping us in a world of consumerism from which escape seems futile.