An Italian cathedral undergoing renovation is sparking debate online after a photo surfaced of a large digital advertisement displayed on its temporary scaffolding.
"I get that there's some renovation going, but this [ad] is just ridiculous and so out of place," a Redditor shared in the subreddit r/Anticonsumption.
The ultra-modern MaxMara advertisement, apparently for eyewear, contrasts awkwardly with the Gothic beauty of the cathedral, which a commenter identified as the back of the Duomo in Milan. Construction on the cathedral began in the late 1300s.
More than one Redditor suggested that it was disrespectful for the place of worship to have an advertisement on its exterior. Meanwhile, others noted that the ad was likely to help pay for the cathedral's conservation and restoration.
Regardless of the purpose, many of the commenters seemed to agree that excessive advertising is generally becoming more and more of a problem.
Advertising is a multibillion-dollar market. According to The World Counts, global spending on ads totaled around $674 billion dollars in 2020, and that number only seems to be growing.
That is reflected in the number of ads we encounter every day. Siteefy found that the typical person sees around 10,000.
Unfortunately, multiple studies have shown this has a negative impact on our mental health, with ads subtly pushing consumers to buy more and more to keep up with others. In turn, this overconsumption encourages companies to churn out more and more of their products. This is a huge problem for the environment, as manufacturing items requires energy.
The fast-fashion industry is particularly polluting, as it churns out large volumes of clothes that easily wear out. In a 2022 article, Harper's Bazaar even pointed out how some fast-fashion brands were creating knockoffs of vintage MaxMara signatures.
There's good news, however. Many people are instead turning to an increasingly lucrative secondhand market to find high-quality essentials.
In the meantime, commenters on the original Reddit post found a supportive place to vent their frustrations.
"This is almost as bad as the billboards in the water at the beach," one commenter wrote, highlighting the cringe-worthy and polluting practice of floating video billboards.
"This is appalling to look at," said another.
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