David Marcus: How Advertising Became Ground Zero in the Culture War
In an era where Americans no longer gather around the same TV shows or water cooler chats about hit sitcoms, advertising has emerged as the last universal battleground. Fox News columnist David Marcus argues in his latest op-ed that this shift has turned commercials into flashpoints for the nation’s deepening cultural divides, where brands risk backlash from both sides of the political spectrum.
The Vanishing Shared Cultural Touchstones
Once upon a time, shows like MASH* or Seinfeld united millions in collective viewing, fostering national conversations. But streaming services have fragmented audiences, with liberals favoring Netflix and Disney+ while conservatives lean toward Paramount+. As Marcus notes, only a tiny fraction of the population watches niche content like Orange Is the New Black or the Sex and the City reboot, which often push progressive narratives to select demographics.
This fragmentation means cultural messaging can’t rely on scripted TV. Instead, ads—seen across all platforms—have become the primary vehicle for societal influence. Marcus points out that polling reveals ideological splits in streaming preferences, yet advertisements remain the one constant exposure for everyone, making them a powerful, if risky, tool for brands aiming to signal values.
From Pepsi’s Protest Faux Pas to Bud Light’s Boycott Backlash
Marcus traces the escalation of ad controversies back to 2017, when Pepsi’s Kendall Jenner commercial depicted her handing a soda to protesters, seemingly trivializing the Black Lives Matter movement. Left-wing critics pounced, accusing the brand of co-opting social justice for profit. The ad, which might have passed muster years earlier as a feel-good unity message, instead ignited fury and was pulled amid widespread condemnation.
Fast-forward to 2023, and the Dylan Mulvaney Bud Light partnership exemplifies the right’s counteroffensive. The trans influencer’s collaboration with the beer giant sparked a massive conservative boycott, costing Anheuser-Busch billions in sales and market value. Marcus highlights this as a turning point: what was once a safe bet for progressive signaling now invites severe economic repercussions. Similarly, the COVID-19 era saw ads pivot to lockdown platitudes like “We’re all in this together,” often with somber piano scores and empty streets—messages that felt tone-deaf to many on the right.
More recently, Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle jeans campaign has drawn praise from conservatives for its traditional appeal, signaling a cultural pushback. Industry experts call it a “major turning point,” as brands test waters away from overt wokeness. Meanwhile, Cracker Barrel’s rebranding efforts, perceived as too progressive, alienated its core customer base, prompting Marcus to quip that regulars could have saved the company $700 million in lost value.
Expert Views and Public Reactions Fuel the Fire
Media analysts echo Marcus’s analysis. At investor conferences, SiriusXM executives have discussed how exclusive content like Howard Stern’s show must adapt to these shifts, but advertising’s broader role in culture wars remains central. One expert told Fox News that “Stern’s value is immense, but the economics have shifted,” reflecting how listener migration to streaming amplifies ad scrutiny.
Public backlash is fierce and bipartisan. Social media erupts over these ads, with conservatives decrying “woke” campaigns as ideological overreach and liberals slamming anything that smacks of conservatism. On X (formerly Twitter), users like @MatrixMysteries argue that “inclusion was never a moral revolution—it was a marketing campaign,” pointing to tanking sales as proof that consumers are exhausted by the virtue-signaling. Clay Travis of OutKick notes the advertising industry’s inherent leftward tilt, where ad buyers label non-progressive content “controversial” to choke funding. Posts from @Trad_West_Art lament ads’ “parallel universe of mixed-race hyper-gay togetherness,” solidifying distorted worldviews for everyday viewers.
Marcus, a West Virginia-based columnist and author of Charade: The COVID Lies That Crushed a Nation, draws from his theater background to frame this as storytelling gone awry. He warns that corporate C-suites, dominated by millennial marketers, have prioritized social justice missions over customer desires, leading to self-inflicted wounds.
Impacts on American Society and Economy
For U.S. consumers, this ad-driven culture war hits wallets and worldviews. Economically, boycotts like Bud Light’s have erased billions, forcing brands to rethink DEI initiatives amid rising anti-woke sentiment. A Financial Times report details how companies are diluting social-purpose campaigns as the backlash intensifies, potentially stabilizing markets but stifling innovation.
Lifestyle-wise, ads shape perceptions in subtle ways. Families see constant messaging on gender fluidity or racial equity, influencing everything from shopping habits to political views. Politically, it ties into broader debates: conservatives push for government intervention against “woke” ads, as seen in calls to expose hidden progressivism in corporate branding. Technologically, streaming’s ad integration means no escape, turning passive viewing into active ideological battles.
Sports fans, a key ad demo, feel it too—think NFL spots navigating gay themes or subtle patriotism. As Marcus observes, this polarization risks eroding shared experiences, deepening divides in an already fractured nation.
A Call for Ads to Sell, Not Sermonize
David Marcus’s piece illuminates how advertising, once a neutral sales tool, has become the epicenter of America’s culture wars due to media fragmentation. With no renewal in sight for unified viewing, brands must navigate minefields where progressive pushes invite conservative fury and vice versa.
Looking ahead, Marcus hopes advertisers refocus on products over politics, asking the “golden question”: What do customers want? As profit motives reclaim the narrative—evidenced by recent “return to reality” campaigns—the industry may dial back the activism. For U.S. readers, this could mean less divisive content and more straightforward commerce, but only if corporations learn from past blunders. In a divided landscape, neutral ads might just be the unifier we’ve lost.
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