Consumerism is a revolving theme in our everyday lives. Everything has been commercialized to the extent that such matters as the ‘Arab Spring’ and the ‘revolution’ have also been commercialized, used to sell publications and products. 

 

Most recently  in Egypt, advertising campaigns and products have been taking a ‘revolutionary’ angle, to get to consumers through the images they have been most accustomed to seeing on television as of late. When something is advertised as being Egyptian—for example the “Ana Masry” campaign—

it is no longer just a description; rather it has become a brand. What producers and agencies may or may not realize is that they have become the architects of a conversation. This conversation involves the commercialization of current events, and the politics of consumerism.

 

The phenomenon is global, and as such, it also applies to Dubai. As Dubai continues to flourish, commercialism and consumerism have dominated popular culture. Creating an urban landscape of high rises and high-tech surroundings that has eliminated remnants of the old city. This extends to Abu Dhabi, and perhaps Sharjah, and other cities in the UAE as they continue to develop.