The idea feels like sci-fi because you’re so used to it, imagining ads gone feels like asking to outlaw gravity. But humanity had been free of current forms of advertising for 99.9% of its existence. Word-of-mouth and community networks worked just fine. First-party websites and online communities would now improve on that.
The traditional argument pro-advertising—that it provides consumers with necessary information—hasn’t been valid for decades.
I’m now imagining advertising being carried out the same way prostitution is.
“Hey sailor, want some good product recommendations?”
Replace sailor with user and you’re spot on. Instead of selling intimacy we sell our attention in exchange for content.