Constructing Consumer Behavior: A Critical Analysis of Television and Online Advertisements

Abstract : The purpose of this study is to examine how Bengali advertisements persuade people to purchase products such as pizza, body lotion, sarees, juice, masala, noodles, and shoes. To support this analysis, I have applied Jean Baudrillard’s concept of hyper reality, which shows that people buy products not merely out of necessity, but also to represent their social class, glamour, prestige, power, beauty, brightness, and identity. In this hyper real world, women are expected to be slim, flawless, and well-shaped, children are encouraged to use baby lotion for softness, traditional biryani is portrayed as being cooked using Radhuni masala, and juice is associated with women. In such a hyper real environment, all roles and expectations are shaped by consumer companies. Here, individuals are assumed to purchase products according to their social status and financial capacity. This study contributes to a better understanding of how consumer behavior is shaped through television, print, and online advertisements.