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Chief
You’re contributing to your livelihood and giving your future kids a future.
You could try to see it on a more personal level: Your clients (the actual people) have entrusted you with something that could make or break their own careers. And if you do your job well, it also benefits all the people who earn an income from your client. Yes, it’s a machine, but it’s also real lives and jobs.
Start with friends and family. If you're talking about my cheery disposition, everyone can get a slice.
Pro
This is true for most jobs not just our industry
So, my sister is a pediatric oncologist, and even though she does significantly more good for the world, she has to make impossible decisions and have horrific conversations every single day. I find comfort in knowing if I make a mistake at work, I will never end or ruin someone’s life. The worst thing I can do is annoy someone.
I also love production because I can advocate for marginalized directors and actors to help with representation in the media, even on a micro level. A lot of these directors and actors just need exposure and experience to break in, and commercials can help them pay the bills, fund passion projects, and get connections.
Advertising can be a force of good if you’re aligning yourself to impactful brands and causes. I’m here cuz I want to change the world as crazy and corny as that sounds. Just as there is negativity there can be positivity. Be the good. I decline working on brands that don’t add good somehow
Guys stop laughing at me lol meanie pants
Remind yourself that right now you aren’t that important and your greatest contribution to the world is becoming wealthy and helping other’s when you’re older, wiser, and with deeper pockets and influence.
Not really. And thank you for your comment.
It is only relevant for someone who feels their work is benign to the greater good of the world. This mind frame fails to take flight if what you are doing to make said money is inflicting pain, injustice and horribleness into the world.
It is not intended , nor do I think it honestly works as a justification to do bad things. It is a justification to be selfish and not put your full attention on helping other early in your career
Notice how all these replies boil down to “forget about other people and focus on getting money for yourself.” Of course it’s selfish to work in advertising. There is no rationalization that will satisfy a thinking, empathetic person.
Exactly this. No one should be comfortable in this world rn imo. If you are, chances are you’re greatly lacking in empathy and awareness.
EVERYTHINGGGG is capitalism. You’re helping your clients solve creative problems.
You're helping the C-suite probably 20-300x more than the warehouse employees.
F. Scott Fitzgerald and Salman Rushdie both worked as copywriters. It’s one of many pieces of how someone refines their craft.
Get your bag and do the work that matters to you on your time. Our entire industry is predicated on convincing people to buy things they don’t need. It’s definitely not a noble cause.
Be honest with yourself about the work you do and then go do things that matter to you. Join causes, make the art, help others in ways that matters to you.
Weed
You can quit and let the thousands of us who need to make a living to keep our kids in school and food on the table have a job. It’s a job. It enables you to have the things in your life you enjoy. Then you can go about doing real-world change type things on the side without that pesky “yeah, but how am I going to get paid” entering the equation.
Chief
Tell yourself that when you turn 30 you’ll be able to panic about agencies not wanting to pay you what you’re worth despite working 18 hour days, weekends, and winning awards. So then you’ll have to desperately think of another occupation that will carry you until you retire 👍
well fuck i’m already in my 30s 👴
https://www.americanpurpose.com/articles/ugh-capitalism/
You can remind yourself that generally capitalism is pretty good when well regulated, that other non-capitalistic economies would still have a need for copywriters, and that when people online go ‘Ugh, Capitalism’ it isn’t any serious view or critique of the world
Activism - I try not to be a totally horrible person outside of work
But also realistically we all need a job to survive and we’re all part of the capitalism machine one way or the other so don’t stress too much.
Focus on your individual survival. Anyone who is in tune with how unjust this world will never be content with how they’re forced to interact with the corrupt elite, no matter their profession
If this is how you feel, you should find something else to do. Who chooses to live with that guilt?
There is no way to live (other than subsistence farmer or off the grid) that does not feed the capitalist machine. But don’t fall for the idea that marketing is anything more than a thumb on the scale increasing chances or degrees of product success - we aren’t holding capitalism together with TikTok’s and YouTube ads.
There is no ethical consumption under capitalism. You have to do something to make money under this system. Take the money and figure out what good you can do with it: give mutual aid to groups who are fighting directly for the things you believe in.
Pro
What we do for work is much worse than consuming goods under capitalism (which we also do, obviously). Our job is to help capitalism function. We get up and go to work every day so capitalism won’t stop. OP isn’t asking whether it’s okay to buy a candy bar, they’re asking for you to make them feel better about working for Capitalism, Inc.
I agree that you can’t consume ethically under this machine. But that doesn’t mean you have to help the machine along. And none of this means you’re absolved of guilt. You’re paid a lot of money not to care that you’re making everyone’s life worse. You shouldn’t feel good about your career.