Magazine.

ADBUSTERS

(My copy was personally handed to me by Rob Williams. "In the end, it will be music that saves us")

Thesis:

They want to advance the new social activist movement of the information age. This is a perfect medium for the class Media and Society. The magazine is all images, busting on Ads. The reason for the magazine is to give people a sensible idea of what ads try and do to you. They spread the idea that companies are bad and try and suck things out of you. Ads are a very easy to mock.

Facts:

1. Adbusters is based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
2. Adbusters is a non for profit, reader supported, 120,000 circulated magazine.
3. A one year subscription for Adbusters is only $38.
4. Adbusters have different campaigns. One of which is a National Buy Nothing Day. They encourage on November 26th you don't spend any money on purchasing products.
5. Adbusters is referred to as the Journal of The Mental Environment.

Triune Brain:

This magazine uses all forms of the brain. They have pictures that make feelings arise. It has limbic elements because when you see mockery of an ad or symbol you might consume, it might hurt you. Sadness, regret, and humor can easily come from this medium. It is also very Neo-Cortex. The images are meant to have you think about what you consume and what garbage advertising feeds you. The magazine also has aspects connecting to the reptilian brain. Images in the magazine spur fear towards consumers.

Limbic. (What are your emotions towards yourself?)

Neo-Cortex. (Are you really "kool"?)

Reptilian. (Not so cool after you flight.)

Principles:

The most applied principle of this magazine, I would say is Valued message.

The reason we analyze medium is completely demonstrated by this magazine. They are trying to show the flaws in advertisements. Another principle is emotional transfer. Just as it is a limbic using magazine, plenty of feelings come from reading/viewing it. One ad I specifically found very funny. It was for a happiness pill.

Trends:

One trend used is epistemological. They use images rather than words to make strong points. For example, half the magazine are full page pictures. Also the website has an interactive preview of the current magazine. Economic shift is applied. They use symbols of major corporations to mock them.

Persuasive Techniques:

They use plenty of symbols in this magazine. These symbols are ones you see everyday, like mcdonalds, google, and political parties. They use this to mock them. The magazine also uses straw man and scapegoating. They completely attack specific companies and ideas.

Symbols:

Scapegoating & Straw Man:

All images are brought by Adbusters.

A look at Adbuster's job through video.

Hooked on Growth: Our Misguided Quest for Prosperity from Dave Gardner on Vimeo.