The Sphere

Chapter 28: Jennifer

"OH, God. It's been such a long day. I can't wait to finally lay my back on my bed!" I said to Daniel as we walked side by side from his office to the elevator.

"My stomach has been growling since the first meeting. Poor me..." Daniel responded, patting his tummy.

We had spent the entire day meeting with one sponsor after another, presenting our next advertisement concept for Hey. The meetings were intense and fast-paced, causing us to forget about the finger foods and refreshments that were often served.

"Discussing advertising reminded me of an article I wrote for my high school's website about its drawbacks. I vividly recall delving into the negative influence of advertisements and their detrimental impact on the world."

"And now, here you are, working for a company that primarily profits from advertising," Daniel chuckled at the irony.

"Yes, it's quite ironic, isn't it?" I replied.

"Marina, I can't bear it any longer. Can we go for an early dinner now?"

"Of course. Where would you like to go?"

"How about Asia Cafe?" Daniel suggested.

"Excellent choice. It's been quite some time since I last dined there," I agreed.

"Great, let's go!" Hungry Daniel simply couldn't wait any longer.

When we arrived at the place, the topic of discussion was still centred around the advertisement, despite the delectable food we were enjoying. However, this time the conversation shifted towards the criteria that would determine which advertisements would make it into Hey magazine.

"Daniel, I must admit, I had no idea that you held such strong principles and standards when it comes to selecting advertisements for our publication."

"Now you know."

I nodded in agreement.

"This isn't the first time someone has expressed surprise at my unwavering commitment to my principles. Many have approached me, astonished by my refusal to compromise. It makes me wonder why. It clearly demonstrates how much they assumed I would settle for anything as long as our advertisement pages were filled. Absolutely not!"

"Maybe it's because your eyes always seem to reflect the dollar sign?"

"Wait, are you implying that I'm some kind of money-hungry person?" That caught him off guard, and he stared at me wide-eyed. Clearly, he never expected that from me. But then he burst into laughter, finding it amusing that I was the first person to say something like that to him.

"Well, I'm glad you're laughing now because, you know, I was just joking, right? So, Daniel, spill the beans. Why are you setting up all these principles or standards or whatever you want to call them for those ads?"

"Advertising is simply a tool for spreading information. That's its main purpose, and it's the only purpose I want for Hey. Sure, ads create a fancy illusion, but let's face it, we're never going to look like those models in the commercials, no matter how much we use the same products. And that's something I want to steer clear of for our readers. I don't want them falling for some false idea or getting caught up in an illusion, only to blame us later for misleading them when things don't live up to their expectations. And let's be real, I definitely don't want them thinking we're shoving unnecessary stuff down their throats right from the start," Daniel explained this in great detail.

"Let's imagine a scenario where a reporter poses the same question to you. How would you respond? Because, honestly, I don't think what you just said would sit well with some people, especially the cynics."