Advertising's friendly face and vigour make it pleasing, and acceptable, to nearly everyone. Only a spoilsport would point out that, behind the glamorous fa ade, advertising is often just propaganda, an ideological war machine serving a social model based on capital, markets, commerce, consumerism. Advertising's reach is so extensive that entire sectors of economic, social and cultural life now depend on it. So do the sporting and media worlds. It has had a growing influence on research and education.
Political campaigns rely heavily on advertising.