Although the NHS is a public service rather than a commercial company, advertising is an important part of how it communicates with millions of people. Unlike commercial advertising, which usually aims to sell products and make a profit, NHS campaigns generally aim to inform people, influence behaviour and improve public health.

Traditional marketing relied on interruption and push tactics, using mass media like television, radio, and print to buy consumer attention through third-party publishers. With the emergence of the internet and digital media, this model shifted, allowing brands to establish direct connections with audiences without relying on intermediaries.

Peter Weir’s The Truman Show (1998) explores and critiques advertising and consumer culture by presenting a world in which an individual’s entire life has become a commercial product. Truman Burbank lives inside a gigantic television studio, surrounded by actors and unaware that his experiences are being broadcast to millions of viewers. The film therefore exaggerates contemporary consumer culture to show how advertising can influence behaviour, identity and our understandi

Banksy is heavily influenced by the visual language and techniques of advertising. His work often uses bold images, simple compositions, recognisable symbols and short, memorable messages that can be understood quickly.

Barbara Kruger is an American artist whose work was strongly influenced by the visual language and techniques of advertising. She became interested in how images and words can be used to communicate powerful messages and influence the way people think. Her artwork often looks like an advertisement, but instead of selling a product, she uses advertising techniques to make audiences question society, consumerism, gender and power.

Andy Warhol was strongly influenced by the visual language of advertising, which became one of the defining features of his artwork. During the 1950s and 1960s, advertising was becoming increasingly important in American culture, with products being promoted through colourful, repetitive and highly recognisable images. Warhol took inspiration from this commercial world and transformed ordinary consumer objects into subjects of fine art.