Creating desires with advertising...

Vance Packard, American journalist of some 50 years ago, quoted in Satyajit Das' book Extreme Money:

A toothbrush does little but clean teeth. Alcohol is important mostly for making people more or less drunk. An automobile can take one reliably to a destination and back...  There being so little to be said, much must be invented. Social distinction must be associated with a house... sexual fulfillment with a particular... automobile, social acceptance with... a mouthwash, etc. We live surrounded by a systematic appeal to a dream world which all mature, scientific reality would reject. We, quite literally, advertise our commitment to immaturity, mendacity and profound gullibility. It is the hallmark of our culture.

 And this was before color television.