Iams: more than nothing, actually

I am more than just a dog.  I am an Iams dog.

The dog in the picture is running in a field, feeling free. What a dummy. You’re not free! You are held captive by a whole lot of ideas that are keeping you from realizing What You Are A Part Of. This is a great example of one of advertising’s main jobs—to keep you Thinking Individually.

I am more than just a dog.

Sounds empowering. But be careful: as with much of what you did in college, the ads that seem the most empowering are usually the most dangerous. Capitalism loves to have you think of yourself as more than—especially more than your job.  That way, you won’t be too sad when your job is underpaid, underfun, and underimportant. You are this whole interesting person deep inside, separate from what the rest of the world can control, right? Grow up. Of course not. This is one of capitalism’s biggest scams.  This is a way to keep you Thinking Individually, which is the most important thing to have people doing if you want to keep them working.

(Ok, dogs don’t don’t have jobs. Or think collectively. Or individually. Or at all, really. But these ideas can work for dog owners and people who don’t own dogs or even like dogs all that much.)

If you feel they are more than just your job, you have an escape from the work day—an escape inside your own head and personality and soul.  Except newsflash! The same system that created your job also created your mind, so it’s not really a safe space to hide.  It’s actually a place that will reinforce all the things you think you’re escaping from.  I call this seemingly safe haven the Souloon, because it’s like if you wanted to go get a nice drink after work to relax, except you get to the bar and surprise! The bartender is your boss.  That would be terrible. (Except not so terrible if the bartender were my boss, who is really nice and also funny.  Please don’t fire me.)

Capitalism uses ideas of loneliness, alienation, and me-against-the-world to keep things from seeming systemic. When people Think Individually, they never accomplish anything, because they do not understand the role they play in the larger world. They think of themselves as separate from bigger, structural issues, because they are too individual, unique, and more than.

(Ok, Dogs aren’t known for bringing about social change. Or for bringing me anything—didn’t I ask for that Chai with splenda  like four hours ago? But this ad plays off those notions of feeling that you are more than just a regular dog-person who has to go to work every day. The product can help you express just how more than you are.)

I am an Iams dog.

This is a very important part of advertising and capitalism and the universe in general: this one special product represents you and your unique “self” (whatever that is) perfectly and specifically. To get people to buy things, you need to make them feel that the product sums up who they are as a dog-person.  Recently, I was looking through the latest issue of Elle (the one with Taylor Swift and her beautiful hair on the cover) in the book store, because come on, five dollars?!  There were tons of ideas trying to convince me that the product was a perfect fit with my personality and would help me better show the world who I am.  My favorites were Estee Lauder’s new Double Wear Makeup (“The long wear you love.  The way you love to wear it.”) and GNC’s be-Wholesome Vitapak (“Be a better you.”) Nothing made for nine jillion other people can be made just for you.

So, what—ads are part of some big government conspiracy to keep you doing what you’re told?  Kind of. Both the people in charge and the people making ads benefit by exploiting our anxieties that we are not special enough and that we are just a faceless cell in the giant, lumbering beast that is capitalism.  Speaking of beasts, let’s get back to that dumb dog who thinks he’s so special.

It is worth noticing the small print: My immune system is so strong, when I say jump, it says how high? The ad is referencing a phrase usually used to talk about people unquestioningly obeying their boss. Even your immune system is willing to do anything for The System—in this case, the nervous system. Talk about not thinking systemically.

The name says it all: Iams—I am.  This product is who I am, and who I am is more than just a dog.  Except get a grip, you really are just a dog.  Now stop drinking from the toilet and get a job.