The amount of ignorance here (both the post and in the comments) is astounding.

Here's my perspective as a consultant/ freelancer/ small business.

If I don't advertise, I don't get clients, I don't get money, I don't get to put food on my table.

If I do advertise, I get to do these things. And maybe grow my business.

Advertising is necessary, because for people to buy from you, they need to be aware you exist, they have to be interested, and only then they can make a decision to either buy or not.

The massive ideological changes that've taken place over the last 70 years are largely due to the counterculture movement which was subsidized by US agencies. It's a well known fact that Osho, Terrence McKenna, Anton LaVey, Aleister Crowley, Michael Aquino and others had deep connections with the intelligence community.

To claim that it's advertising itself that's bad is to completely miss the point.