Read the following example and determine whether it illustrates a common critique or defense of advertising.

While shopping for soda, Crystal is trying to determine whether to purchase the generic cola or the brand ZCola. Although she would not notice the difference between the two in a blind taste test, she buys the higher-priced ZCola because she has seen it advertised as being "The drink that's the life of partieZ."

Critique of advertising.

Explanation:

Advertising refers to a paid form of marketing wherein the marketer buys space for display of his products, highlighting their attributes and utility, with an object of boosting sales.

Different media forms can be used for advertisements such as visual, audio or print media forms. For instance, advertisements can be carried out via posters and banners, on the television or radio or in print media such as newspapers, journals and magazines and other publications.

One of the strong criticism against advertisements being, it being a deceptive activity wherein product attributes are often exaggerated or creating a cognitive effect to induce purchases.

In the given case, the "party attribute" highlighted by the advertisement created a perceptible influence on mind of the consumer. In this case, the consumer did not think rationally or test both the products. Instead her buying behavior was based upon perceptible influence of the advertisement she had viewed.

The scenario represents critique of advertising.