Advertising Quote by Augusten Burroughs
“Sometimes when you work in advertising you'll get a product that's really garbage and you have to make it seem fantastic, something that is essential to the continued quality of life.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: The New Yorker, 2009
Creating hype for a low‑quality product shows how marketing can mask reality, turning the trivial into the indispensable.
In simple terms: Marketing can make bad products seem essential.
Key Takeaway
Question the value behind flashy promotion.
Themes
marketing
illusion
consumerism
Mood
skeptical
critical
analytical
Type
advice
commentary
observational
When to use this quote
- advertising campaigns
- product launches
- media reviews
- consumer decisions
Key Concepts
branding
perception
value construction
Questions to Reflect On
- What does this say about your own consumption habits?
- How can you see past marketing hype?
A Different Perspective
The product may still fail despite hype.
![“[We] saw products as garbage even when they sat gleaming on store shelves, yet unbought. We didn't say, What kind of casserole will that make? We said, What kind of garbage will that make?” quote by Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/5de/don-delillo-294_garbage_we-saw-products-as-garbage-even-when-the_1768805.jpg)
![“I will be known forever as the Puppy who chased a cutpurse and caught fish garbage instead. My descendants will pretend I'm not in their bloodline. No – no one will want to make descendants with me. [from Beka Cooper's journal of her first day as a new Dog i.e. cop]” quote by Tamora Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/6d5/tamora-pierce-935_beka-cooper_i-will-be-known-forever-as-the-puppy-who_17776.jpg)
