I tore up a magazine today. I squashed up the pieces and threw them in fire! Then I smashed a small radio and came very close to driving into a road billboard.

Advertising! We're surrounded by it. On the streets, in our homes, on our phones, at work, at play, everywhere, and most of it is just rubbish. Before anyone gets on my case, I hereby come clean and admit that I've been working in advertising for over a decade. Forgive me, but that's how I pay my bills.

Even though I make a living from the advertising industry, I consciously refuse to purchase things that are badly advertised. More so, I refuse to purchase high-end brands that come at a premium. I like to sit on my moral high horse and refuse to pay extra for a popular brand name. On the contrary I love a bargain, preferably from God forsaken markets, and of unknown makes.

More often than not, advertising is a complete waste of everyone's time. Some ads do not give us any good reasons to buy a product other than the fact that some famous people, whom we don't know from Adam, are wearing it, using it, and abusing it. What's worrying is that this sort of advertising works with the majority of people, hence why advertising endorsements are so expensive. All we're told about the product is that this ‘famous' person has been paid to say that it's great, and we're out falling over each other to buy it.

The ads that rub me in the worst way possible are those that are specifically aimed at people's fears and worries - getting old, having an accident, and getting sick - basically insurances, life policies, retirement plans, and under takers' ads which are packed with tear-jerking characters of sickly sweet children and their puppies. Check out these and let the waterworks flow: http://www.alisonbezzina.com/bad-ads/

Then there are those which try to play on our insecurities and inferiorities. They rant on about our need to have flashier cars and glitzier underwear, our need to keep up with the Beckhams and all the bling that that entails. They out rightly imply that it is absolutely necessary to have green crocs on our colourful shirts, and swooshes embroidered on our shoes and caps!

Wonder of wonders is how advertisers choose to use the same medium to advertise the ‘Wonder Bra' and the ‘Wonder Mop'. Granted, they both come with 14 attachments and 23 combinations, but other than that, how can the same reader be interested in enhancing her sexual assets and at the same time be concerned with the dust under the washing machine? (Please treat as a rhetorical question)

Unfortunately the good ads tend to get banned, and many do not get the exposure that they deserve. Though good ads do not necessarily give us the rational reasons to buy whatever it is that they are advertising, at least they make us laugh or they boggle our minds enough to make us think.

Here are some of my favourite ads from recent history - http://www.alisonbezzina.com/great-ads/ Though I might not rush to buy what they are selling, or do what they are suggesting, they surely get my vote for entertainment value, shock and effect.