Tom Asacker expresses his frustration with the marketing profession citing the thought that marketing is the devil. In particular, he takes exception to US Army advertising by sponsoring sports matches.

But don’t you think that the adulteration of culture with persuasive marketing has gone too far when the US Armed Forces starts appropriating cultural events and symbols - like NASCAR and the NFL - to persuade vulnerable teenagers to join up and get their asses blown off.

Tom, I share your frustration with the marketing trade.

I'd like to close the cop-out argument that says if you criticise manipulative ads you automatically imply that customers are idiots. Even the smartest of us get hoodwinked and that doesn't excuse hoodwinking.

Second, I am depressed by most if not all forms of image-making by association. Coke sponsors sports to give it the patina of... sporty healthiness. Sounds like the US Army is doing something similar (obviously I've not seen the ads here in London).

Partly I just think it's such a terrible waste of human energy to be so busily dressing things up instead of telling it like it is. (And yes there is a line between dramatising a real argument and distracting the audience by changing the subject.)

Sid puts a different perspective on the US Army message. If the Army wants to recruit on the nobility of serving the country, it would be good for them to say so, as dramatically as they like. But sponsoring football... well it all sounds rather indirect to me.

It's a bit like kids at school hanging out with the beautiful people, in the hope of some kind of reflected glory. I dunno, but if the US Army can't stand up for itself and give it to us straight, it's a bit worrying.