Once upon a time in a crowded lecture hall far far away, a professor ended a lecture by stating, “You will find that when you enter the world of advertising, you will no longer ignore the annoying commercials between your favorite TV show…in fact you will find yourself paying attention, critiquing each detail and thinking of ways to make them better. All forms of Media will never be the same to you ever again”. I, a smug student in the third row, chuckled to myself at the silly comment and waved it away like a fly on my toast. I rose from the plastic flip down seat and pushed through the double doors, returning to my jungle like apartment to watch “Regis and Kelly”.

Fast-forward to the summer of 2008 and I am interning at Second Melody, a full service agency comfortably situated in beautiful New Jersey. Arriving at my little desk at the top of the stairs is like being submerged into a glass tank of advertising for eight hours a day. I am able to see the development of ads that will actually appear in the “real world” (not at the professor’s desk). I can help with their creation and give my own advice. I hear phone conversations with clients and write and proofread strategy documents. Needless to say, I thoroughly enjoy and cherish the experience…but I think that I leave “work” there, at my little desk at the top of the stairs. Or do I?

While watching TV with friends, I realize that I rudely interrupt conversations at the commercial break to complain about the quality of the cell phone commercial that no one else cares about. I nearly run off the road as I drive into Philadelphia while trying to interpret a billboard, then curse the amount of copy used, rewriting it in my head. While in New York City, instead of enjoying the city life around me and the company of my visiting roommate, I am completely distracted by the plethora of advertisements filling my senses…analyzing, appraising, and rethinking it all.

Now don’t worry friends. I am well aware that these symptoms are completely embarrassing and “not normal” for most human beings… and this should pass if I drink lots of water and get enough rest. But that’s just it isn’t it? Advertising is everywhere but it is meant to subliminally leak into our minds. After two short months of interning I am suddenly aware of it all, have some idea of how it works, and it is driving me insane!

That professor’s prophecy was correct.

Advertising has ruined my life.

And I love it.