I don’t even know where to start with this one.

The ad is by shiseido (the secret of high school girls) and I want to know if the symbol on the guy's headphones has any significance or just simply what it is? Thank you (pic here : https://imgur.com/a/8Qu3p )

TL;DR: After creating this subreddit 4 years ago I neglected it. I'm now back and we're going to make this place fun and interesting. Let's get going.

Longer version:

OK, so I realise I've hardly been active here for some time, and I have let you all down somewhat. Let's try and address that.

This morning I was watching an advert for a life insurance company that is an astonishing piece of art. It's not obvious its for a life insurance company until the very end, and only then if you know that Axa is a life insurance company.

They do not pitch their product. They do not tell you what your cover will cost you. They are planting an image in your head, so when you encounter their brand again in another context - perhaps renewing your life insurance - you will think of them in a positive, warm and - for an insurance company - unusual way, perhaps.

This brings us back to what this subreddit was created for. It was created after this post became my top rated comment on Reddit. I created it without much thought, and then forgot to actively maintain it. You all did a sterling job in doing things without moderation, moaned about me a bit, and then we all forgot about it. Sorry, that's my fault. Let's get this moving again.

However, intent is important: I am still a subscriber to Adbusters. I think it is sad that the most brilliant minds of our generation are spending their mental skills figuring out how to get people to click on things - adverts, 'fake news', content sites with adverts and fake news, whatever. That's what brought me here, but it might not be what brought you here.

Whatever your take, you will likely agree that to engage in advertising is to engage in a form of psychological warfare and to alter people's perceptions in order to benefit the company or product you are advertising. This is worthy of discussion, pulling apart, understanding.

Some of you may work in advertising or perhaps aspire to. Welcome. I hope this subreddit helps you in some way in your career, if for no other reason it will make you consciously aware of the burden you have on society with the choices you make.

Some of you will find advertising nefarious and suspect. Welcome, too. You may be onto something, but conspiracy theories about mind control will result in you being mocked. Sorry.

All of us can agree advertising is meant to affect us, and is worthy of discussion. So let's (hopefully) get on with that.