The advertising industry plays a pivotal role in shaping consumer behavior, often leading individuals to make decisions that lack a solid basis in information. This manipulation results in choices that can contradict fundamental economic theories, which rely on the assumption that consumers are well-informed and act rationally. Such advertising tactics are designed to exploit cognitive biases and emotional responses rather than encourage informed decision-making.

Noam Chomsky, in his book "Making the Future," discusses how this approach in advertising serves to disrupt traditional market theories. By promoting irrational consumer behavior, the advertising sector undermines the expectation that markets operate on rationality, instead fostering a cycle of choices that do not necessarily align with consumers' best interests. This critique emphasizes the need to understand the powerful influence of media and marketing in shaping societal norms and behaviors.