Ads vs. Labels

So lets start from the assumption that an environment with omnipresent advertisement is destructive to those who live within it.

What about labels? This came up when my growing concern about the constantly formative nature of experience was first mixed with a distrust for advertisers. It's only been a few days but it's proven to be a potent combination. Anyway, it was at the height of my suspicion that I was sitting in a lecture hall before class started, and looking around me I saw

Coke
Diet Coke
Starbucks
Vitamin Water

None of these were actual advertisements though. They were labels, and the more I think about it the more I'm okay with that. If your ads are primarily on your product then in order for you to get more advertising out you have to move more product, and without the ad system you'd have to improve your product.

I'm well aware that it's too late for that system to be implemented, but I think I'm okay with label ads for a very simple reason. I bought a sandwich from Subway. The bag they gave me says Subway on it. By carrying the bag around I'm tacitly advertising for Subway. I buy from them because I like their product, so I'm not opposed to advertising said product. The Label/Brand is something I'm not against because it's a form of passive consumer advocacy.