© 2024 WYPR
WYPR 88.1 FM Baltimore WYPF 88.1 FM Frederick WYPO 106.9 FM Ocean City
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Black Ops Advertising: The Hidden Influences On What We Buy ― And Think

Photos courtesy Edward Boches; Matt Carr

Last night, the New England Patriots won one of the most exciting Super Bowl championships in football history.  Will any of the ads that aired during the game go down in history?  Do Super Bowl ads even matter anymore? 

These days, a lot of advertising comes to us surreptitiously, often so heavily disguised that we don’t even know it is advertising, sponsored by a corporate entity.

Mara Einsteinis Professor of Media Studies at Queen’s College in New York City.  Her latest book is called “Black Ops Advertising,” about why advertisers are becoming publishers, publishers are  becoming advertisers, and how these blurred lines are influencing not only what we spend and where we spend it, but even how we think about ourselves and about the issues shaping our society. 

Edward Boches is Professor of Advertising at Boston University's College of Communication.  He is a former partner at Mullen, a large ad firm, who has created several Super Bowl spots.   He is co-author, with Luke Sullivan, of the new fifth edition of “Hey Whipple, Squeeze This: The Classic Guide to Creating Great Ads”, which updates the popular text with chapters on digital, social and emerging media.  Boches writes the popular industry blog Creativity Unbound and shares his insights and opinions regularly on Twitter.

 
Professor Einstein joins Tom on the line from Argot Studios in New York, and Professor Boches connects from the public radio studios of WGBH, Boston. They're with us for the hour to shed light on the dark art of advertising, and to take your calls, emails and tweets.

Stay Connected
Host, Midday (M-F 12:00-1:00)
Rob is a contributing producer for Midday.