Advertising may make people miserable, but it still has its uses

Such a car can easily cost more than the median annual income of an American household, and most people who see these ads will not be able to afford one. If the effect of advertising is mostly to encourage people to want things that they cannot have, rather than to direct them towards items that are a good match for their needs and tastes, then it is possible that spending on advertising leaves society worse off overall. Rather, the buyer is paying for such cars’ value as a status symbol, which derives from the fact that very few people can afford one.

Source: www.economist.com