Intrusive advertising is THE cornerstone of capitalism...

TW,

To start with the cornerstone of Capitalism was to break free from the King of England's rule and government ownership of all businesses as well as the extreme taxation placed upon colonists.

The definition of Capitalism is: "an economic system in which the means of production and distribution are privately or corporately owned and development is proportionate to the accumulation and reinvestment of profits gained in a free market."

Simply put, Capitalism succeeds due to a free market, not advertising. When the government steps into the free market to take over or regulate private sector businesses, then Capitalism begins to disappear. No amount of intrusive or permission based advertising can save it or shift the machine.

Advertising is only a medium and has always been a medium to do one thing and one thing only, to carry a message. And that message has always been, "Look what I got, You need it, Buy it now!"

As for Intrusive Advertising, the subject, it's in every economic system and has been around long before Capitalism ever came into existence.

Remember intrusive advertising can be found as far back as Ancient China when peddlers would dance and sing in front of their goods and were known for going door-to-door interrupting the person's day to sell them their wares.

Forms of advertising in ancient times

People in old times created various ways of advertising to prosper their businesses. Today you can still find traces of the ancient advertising signs in commercial streets or in front of stores and restaurants. The main advertising forms included:

Peddling

Peddling, a kind of clear, sonorous and rhythmic yo-heave-ho, was a special way to attract customers or passengers when the peddlers traveled about the streets to sell their goods.

Signboards

The signboard, usually made of cloth, silk or boards, was a vivid sign to describe the businesses and attract customers. Mainly set up in front of shops and bars, it was also called a bar sign or shop sign.

Music

It was a centuries-old advertising form in China in which sellers sang songs and played instruments while selling their goods.

Lanterns

Lanterns had been used as a means of advertising in front of shops and restaurants until the founding of New China. Similar to neon signs in today's cities, lanterns in ancient times had clear but brief business descriptions on them.

Real objects

Real objects were used as advertising signs for businesses especially in front of restaurants and bars, such as the head of various cattle.

Picture signs

Picture advertising, such as designs of scissors for a scissors shop and shoe pattern for a shoe shop, was a more civilized way compared to using real objects.

Characters

From real objects to pictures, and to pictures with descriptions, ancient advertising had developed a long way. The emergence of signboards with only characters, such as "当" (to pawn) and "押" (to impawn) in front of pawnshops, indicated the maturity of advertising.

Copperplate-printed advertisements emerged during the Song Dynasty (960-1279), more than 300 years earlier than those in the West.

Finally, ALL ADVERTISING is intrusive. I don't care what Seth Godin preaches. Because at the end of the day it is still: "Look what I got, You need it, Buy it now!" Some folks just have to say it 7 times.