Hypereality

I have fallen victim to hyper-reality in the area of advertisements. For example, Kobe Bryant is a sponsor for "Nike, McDonald's, Spalding, Sprite and Upper Deck combine to give Bryant $20 million a year in endorsement deals" (Link 1).People believe that if they somehow drink sprite or wear converse, they will magically become super athletic. Dwayne Wade and Kobe worked hard before they started drinking sprite and wearing converse shoes. Furthermore, advertising is important just as seen in "Gatorade's whopping $180 million budget towards their advertisements" (link 2). Sometimes I think if I drink Gatorade, I will play better. Advertisements have become manipulative and make individuals have a subconscious belief that certain items enhance performance or enjoyment. Overall, I find myself influenced by the media which make simple products appear to be better than they are in reality.

http://advertising.about.com/od/bryantkobe/Bryant_Kobe.htm
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/54756/powerade_option_versus_gatorade_propel.html?page=3