I studied advertising and lost interest after a few months, when I got behind the scenes, I didn't think that people would really continue to associate themselves with a photo/short clip starring a product (brand), but you know what, they do and it works. Brands have their own language too, think Chanel (top end luxury brand), Ray Ban (metal framed sunglasses), Coca Cola (carbonated sugar drink that tastes good for a lot of people; and probably not something that really comes to mind, but logistics that most companies dream of). You only have to think of the product name and some part of you dis/associates with it. I learnt too that the most powerful advertising really is Word of Mouth, because if you trust the person telling you about the product/company, a friend who has tried an amazing new salad dressing (let's say), and you eat salads and want to try something new, you're going to buy the product they recommend. I totally relate to your insomnia moment, but advertising keeps most of the sites we visit, free - that's the payoff, unfortunately. We are usually exposed to a product/brand about 7 times (last time I checked) before we take notice, so they do work hard for their buck and that is why they advertise on different mediums to hook into your conscious, so when you go to buy the product, you feel that connection with it, but probably don’t know why. If products could be made, for starters – with no microbeads; in bio-degradable packaging; soap powders and crop sprays that work with the environment; food additives that enhance our health, not make us sick; and specifically the fashion industry polluting our waters with chemicals from dyes (use natural dyes) and consuming unspeakable amounts of plastic for transporting each outfit (package differently) – we would probably have a trust factor that would not need advertising to believe in them because we would know they are authentic, thinking about our health and the health of our planet. The money used for advertising could make the needed change and we could read/view the good they are doing and not have annoying adverts manipulating us. Perhaps, until we shift to authenticity and move from living within our egos associating with brands, we will have advertising.