As we approach a world of rapid advancement in technology and advertisement, the question of whether the main reason for advertising is to improve sales of products that people do not necessarily need has gained traction. I would argue for advertising more focused on supplying products to customers for several compelling reasons.
One of the most persuasive arguments in favor of this view is manufactured desire. This is largely because ads create artificial “wants” by linking products to status, beauty, or happiness rather than addressing real needs. As a consequence, advertisements attract individuals to purchase goods that they do not need for them. Moreover, ads exploit insecurities such as weight, aging, and social comparison to sell products like aging creams or diet pills that people would not seek. A case in point is my home country, Uzbekistan, where many companies use the method of emotional vulnerability, such as in World Cup 2026, where the media organization called “Zo’rtv” sold out all of the slots for advertisement, which leads to disagreement in society. This clearly demonstrates that advertising often aims to stimulate consumer demand instead of meeting people’s actual needs.
A further reason to support this position is the influence of advertising on children and other impressionable audiences. In other words, advertisements aimed at children, particularly those promoting toys, sugary snacks, or fast food, often manipulate young consumers who are unable to distinguish between persuasive marketing and genuine necessity.
To take everything into account, the rapid improvement in technology and advertisement creates an opportunity for companies to target emotional vulnerability. I firmly believe that ads force individuals’ emotions to buy products that they do not want.