At the same moment that the Beats gave birth to the hippie phenomenon, advertisers found ways to wrap mass- produced goods in the new vernacular of nonconformity. Consuming wasn't necessarily cool, but cool could be bought by discriminating consumers. Beats in their 30s gave way to hippies in their 20s who gave way to Generation X, and the target market just keeps going down. These strange constellations are what make 'cool' the piston that drives consumer habits. Teenagers are the critical entry point because they haven't already chosen their brands, and they have time and money.
Adolescents are also insecure about their status.
So if you're selling toothpaste to teen-agers, you know you're not selling toothpaste. You're selling affect. You're selling a story. And 'cool' is the story. To some, it has even become its own form of repression.