Individualism versus Dependence: The dichotomy of America's two standards

Every once in a while I find myself browsing the ads on apple.com/startpage, the home screen of Safari. Apple has catchy ads and nice pictures, and owns the one form of technology I follow - the iPod. Today I opened a few safari browsers with the intent of searching the web and finding potential topics for a blog post. This was the first time I actually went in search of something to write about, and in all honesty, my heart wasn't really in it. The beauty of blogging is that you can write about what's on your mind, and it felt phony to go searching for something to write about. I glanced over a few websites before abandoning my search and opening another page in order to go to facebook.com, the sign of ultimate defeat. Once on facebook, I find it hard to move away. On the apple page was an ad with the title "Be your own Cupid." Below that was an advertisement for "mobile Me" and other ads for "your Mac" and a bunch of the classic "i"s like "iwork." In general the focus was on the individual. The overall message was that each individual can find and buy for themselves what they want from Apple. Even Valentine's day can focus on the individual, and each computer and each application is in one's control. The emphasis on me as an individual made me think of the various apple electronics I own. I thought about my iPhone and the fact that I need to buy a new case for it. Next thing I knew I had picked out a case online and was entering my credit card information. Today at dinner I found myself asking my dad to buy me a new case, and not an hour later I had already ordered one for myself. I picked out the color and had it delivered to me at Andover. It made me feel grateful to Apple for being so easy to use or even "helpful," although no one specifically helped me. It's interesting how Apple's emphasis on the individual places that person in a position of wanting to buy things for themselves. It's nice to buy things for ourselves and it makes us feel as if we are independent, emotionally and physically capable of buying what we want or need. In many jewelry commercials the emphasis is on reliance and relationships. The man buys the woman a ring and the woman waits for him to buy the ring. A diamond bought by a woman for herself is hardly liberating or exciting. If anything, it is a reminder of something we don't have. I remember a scene in the Sex and the City Movie where Samantha is angry that her boyfriend outbid her at an auction for a ring that she wanted to buy for herself. While she was happy to have the ring, she was also frustrated that he had bought it for her. She said she wanted to buy it for herself as a sign of her independence and prosperous career, and her friends immediately chimed in with proclamations about how it symbolized his love for her. She seemed to think it was a harbinger for a life in which she relied too heavily on him. By the end of the movie she had abandoned her relationship for the life as a single woman. I'm wondering why some companies focus advertising on individualism and some on reliance on others. The ipod and jewelry are targeting different age groups most likely. Does age decide what focus advertisers take? Does it depend on the product itself rather than the demographics trying to being reached? I suppose jewelry shops make a lot of their money selling diamond wedding rings and anniversary gifts, so can they subsist over advertising to a specific demographic, such as engaged or married 25 to 40 year olds? Kay jewelers for instance has the classic jingle "Every kiss begins with Kay," which emphasizes reliance on both a partner and an item of jewelry. Essentially, they are saying that a wealthy partner with good taste in jewelry is necessary in any girl's life or any girl wanting jewels. There seems to be a rift in the media between relying only on oneself and relying on others. I think striking a balance between both would be most rewarding, but in advertising the two don't seem to mesh. I've seen Apple advertising buying something for oneself or for a loved one, but I've never seen them target anyone besides the individual. Never have they said "This would be perfect for your boyfriend to buy you" or "Why don't you add this to your Christmas list." Apple gives us the power to change our lives and the lives of others, whereas stores like Kay Jewelers shows us the power we have to change others lives or the power others have to change our lives. Even though I've identified this polarity, and tried to do some research online, I'm left wondering what an advertising agency would say about this. When do they assign buying power to the individual and when do they assign it to someone else? When is one perspective more advantageous than the other?