AJ

I am a brand snob. I would rather spend $200 on one pair of Nikes than spending $200 on twenty pairs of Sketchers. Why is this? It’s not because I am a self-centered, egotistic narcissist. It’s because I have a deep and long connection with Nike. My first pair of shoes was a tiny pair of baby Nikes and every pair since has just made this connection with the brand even stronger. Because of this I have a perception of value that is deeply personal to me and affects my life on a daily basis, But what exactly is value and why does it have such an impact on my life? Merriam-Webster defines it as relative worth, utility, or purpose. It’s not that simple however. I have to make decisions based on value everyday. The whole world has to make decisions of value everyday. The problem is that we usually don’t know it. Value has a subliminal property that allows itself to work within the background of all our lives. While we don’t even notice it, value plays a role in almost every decision we make. In society there is no more prevalent representation of this than through the roles of consumerism and advertising. Everyday advertising challenges what we value and asks us to change it. Like I said however, value is not that simple. The value we put on objects and goods comes from a deeper place and is intertwined with our assumptions and behaviors.  Therefore, in order for advertising to work it must work to change or instill new perceptions within us.  This is where my art finds it traction. ​

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