Imaginarios culturales en la publicidad internacional: Cannes 1998-2002

In an increasingly globalized market economy advertising by international enterprises acquires alto a global nature in an attempt lo reach a wide multicultural audience from diverse cultural backgrounds. TV advertising resorts to a series of techniques in the depiction of cultural difference, such as simplification, stereotyping and comic effect, among others, with the aim of shocking the target audience into absorbing the commercial messages in question. Even though there seems to have appeared a line of advertising that holds a respectful attitude towards the elements of cultural difference, still there is a general lack of sensibility and concern towards certain cultures or collectives traditionally occupying a subaltern position. In conclusion, the nurturing of the audience’s prejudices is favoured lay multinational firms as the most effective means of selling their products, regardless of the possible distorted images that they may project.