The Persuaders
"Every effort to break through the clutter is just more clutter. Ultimately, if you don’t have clean, plain borders and backdrops for your ads, if you don’t have that blank space, that commons, that virgin territory, you have a very hard time making yourself heard. The most obvious metaphor is a room full of people, all screaming to be heard. What this really means, finally, is that advertising is asphyxiating itself."
Sounds about right, no? Although the documentary is about 4 years old, the argument presented seems roughly the same as we're having today, except with fewer references to social media, of course. Which on some level makes today's argument seem a little stale. But maybe that has more to do with Frontline's depiction of advertising folks. You'll probably feel a little dirty after watching this.
As a side note, check out the PBS library of content for some cool stuff. There isn't shit on TV this time of year, so if you want to get all learned up, this is probably a good place to start. You might also check out The Merchants of Cool if you'd like to get a gander at a short-haired Malcom Gladwell.