Impact and Influence of Television Advertisements on Dhaka City's Culture

This study explores the profound impact of television advertisements on the cultural landscape of Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh. As a rapidly developing urban center, Dhaka has experienced significant shifts in consumer behavior, lifestyle aspirations, and cultural perceptions, many of which are shaped by the evolution of television advertising. The thesis investigates how advertisements serve as agents of influence—not only promoting products but also shaping societal norms, values, and trends. With consumerism growing among Dhaka's urban middle class, advertisements have increasingly become powerful tools in defining notions of modernity, identity, and aspiration. This research particularly examines the ways television commercials influence different demographics, how emotional messaging and Westernized portrayals create cultural hybrids or tensions, and how these shifts manifest in everyday urban life. The thesis identifies the most responsive audience groups, analyzes the preferred advertising mediums, and uncovers the core elements within advertisements that drive cultural change—both positively and negatively. It highlights the unique situation in Bangladesh where audiences may internalize messages from commercials without necessarily becoming consumers of the advertised product, suggesting a symbolic rather than transactional impact of advertising. Using both qualitative and quantitative methods—including expert interviews and surveys—the research offers a comprehensive look at how advertising contributes to cultural glocalization and the reconfiguration of traditional values in Dhaka. Ultimately, the thesis underscores the need for culturally sensitive advertising strategies and deeper inquiry into the long-term implications of mass media on urban culture in South Asia.