The World of Cyberpunk 2077 and the Pervasive Advertisements

This section introduces the world of Cyberpunk 2077, where corporations have complete control and government is merely a figurehead. The city is filled with pervasive advertisements that reflect the dystopian nature of the game.

The Deregulated City and Corporate Interests

• Night City is a place where corporations have been deregulated, and there are no social support systems or laws to protect citizens.

• The advertisements in the city symbolize what's wrong with this world, as they are everywhere and impossible to escape.

Evocative Imagery at Any Cost

• The marketing philosophy in Cyberpunk 2077 is focused on evocative imagery to grab attention.

• Corporations aim to create shocking, loud, sexual, and disgusting ads in an arms race for attention.

• This neglectful marketing strategy makes the city more dangerous for its inhabitants.

Ads Exploiting Deficiencies

• Advertisements inherently rely on people having deficiencies or lacking something in their lives.

• They sell not just products but lifestyles, images, and attitudes that make people feel their current life is substandard.

• Corporations outside advertising also work towards lowering people's quality of life.

The Insidious Nature of Advertisements

This section delves into how advertisements manipulate consumers by creating a sense of deficiency and selling solutions through spending money.

Inverse Relationship with Best Interests

• Advertisements have an inverse relationship with consumers' best interests.

• They rely on people having deficiencies or feeling that their life lacks something so they can sell them a solution.

Selling Lifestyles and Images

• Modern advertisements often sell lifestyles rather than products.

• By spending money, consumers are led to believe they can attain a better way of life.

Advertisements in Cyberpunk 2077

• In the game, advertisements add value by showcasing real places and products that players can interact with.

• The variety of ad formats and placements in the city contribute to the world-building and commentary on advertising.

Historical Context and Impact of Regulations

This section briefly mentions the creation of regulatory bodies for advertisements in America and their impact on real-life advertisements.

Governmental Regulatory Bodies

• Woodrow Wilson created the Federal Trade Commission in 1914, followed by Franklin D. Roosevelt creating the Federal Communications Commission in 1934.

• These bodies have some jurisdiction over advertisements, leading to regulations that have made real-life ads less impactful.

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The Impact of Military Advertisements

This section discusses the impact of military advertisements and questions why they are allowed to exist. It also explores the lack of jurisdiction over advertisements by independent organizations.

Military Advertisements and their Influence

• Military advertisements can have a profound impact on individuals who want to learn and make significant decisions.

• These ads validate destructive worldviews, but even altruistic military ads can be nauseating.

Lack of Jurisdiction over Advertisements

• Multiple ratings boards exist for movies, TV shows, and video games, such as MPAA, AC Nielsen, and ESRB.

• However, these organizations do not have jurisdiction over advertisements.

• Independent organizations like FTC and FCC have addressed dangerous advertising practices in food and drug ads but have limited control over other types of ads.

Complaint Mechanisms

• Individuals can file complaints against indecent or untruthful advertisements.

• Complaints can only be made if the ad makes a provably false claim about the product.

• Interestingly, complaints can also be filed for excessively loud ads.

Ineffectiveness of Regulatory Bodies

• Regulatory bodies lack laws to address the larger problem with advertising: the overwhelming quantity and inescapability of ads.

• Ads corrupt public spaces, pollute the air with noise, and allow corporations to dictate how our world looks and sounds.

• As a society, we have lost authorship of our cities and digital spaces to entities with negative intentions.

The Power of Advertising in Cyberpunk 2077

This section explores how advertising is portrayed in the game Cyberpunk 2077 as a reflection of people's desires, fears, vulnerabilities. It highlights the difference between real-life ads created by marketers versus those created by artists in the game.

Ads Reflecting People's Desires and Fears

• The ads in Cyberpunk 2077 speak to the fears and insecurities of the people living in Night City.

• They tell stories of employees seeking cybernetic implants to keep up with co-workers or athletes relying on bleeding-edge technology.

• The ads mirror the desires, fears, and vulnerabilities of the population.

Night City as an Advertisement

• In Cyberpunk 2077, corporations have free reign to place advertisements anywhere and everywhere.

• As a result, Night City itself becomes an advertisement rather than a functional place.

• The city's architecture is perverted by ads, and its air is polluted with their noise.

Artistic Approach to Advertising

• Unlike real-life ads created by marketers, the ads in Cyberpunk 2077 are created by artists who understand marketing.

• The immersive lights and sounds in the game enhance the fantasy world and serve as a cautionary tale about unregulated corporations.

Conclusion: The Real Nightmare

This section concludes that playing Cyberpunk 2077 reminds us of where the real nightmare lies - in the overwhelming presence of advertisements in our society.

Ads as a Perversion of Humanity

• Advertisements are a corruption of public spaces, both external and internal.

• They pervert architecture, pollute the air with noise, and invade even our thoughts.

• Corporations dictate how our world looks and sounds, leading to a loss of authorship for society.

Reflection on Cyberpunk 2077

• While Cyberpunk 2077 portrays a hyper-capitalist dystopian nightmare, it also immerses players through its artistic depiction of advertising.

• Ultimately, playing the game serves as a reminder of the pervasive nature of advertisements in our real world.