Critique of Commodity Aesthetics

Résumé · This book offers an original and highly provocative account of the ways in which consumer goods are packaged, promoted and displayed for purchase in contemporary societies. 'Commodity aesthetics' is the term used to describe these complex processes of artful presentation. Drawing on Marx's analysis of the basic mechanisms of capitalist production and exchange, Haug demonstrates the economic importance of advertising and explores the ways in which human sensuality is moulded and exploited by the advertising system. Abstract arguments are illustrated with examples that are familiar to us all: the use of brand names to achieve 'aesthetic monopoly,' the cultivation of style to increase turnover, and the many ways in which sexuality is modelled by the promoters of the cosmetic industry. 'Critique of Commodity Aesthetics' will be of great interest not only to students of contemporary culture, but also to anyone who whishes to understand the nature of advertising and the impact that it has on our lives.