If everyone tells you NOT to give in to peer pressure, what do you do?

I have had people tell me that I should go into marketing, and while I can't speak to the wisdom of such a choice, I can tell you the chances of it ever happening - almost none.
I admit, there is some intrigue in the idea of marketing. The potential for creativity is highly possible. Plus, as you may already know, I spend much of my time analyzing ads (and not just on TV - print ads and billboards are interesting as well) and I have to admit that I sometimes rework the ads in my head to better (at least, I think better) represent the products and hit the target audience.
A few facets of marketing continue to fascinate me. One is that everyone, myself included, continues to fall for it. Marketing is little more than hype. Facts are not clearly presented, if they are presented at all, and the goal of the marketing is to get people to buy a lifestyle that never really materialises once the purchase is made. The worst part is that most people know this and still continue as if they did not.
And then there comes the issue that is contradictory and yet accepted by most everyone: the idea of individuality by being part of a group, along with the notion that for most products, individuality is the last thing the company wants. For example, right now Miracle Whip has an ad campaign that features many people 'being themselves' and 'not conforming'. And if you want to be part of this group, you should buy Miracle Whip because it will not...be like...other...mayonnaises...? The ad doesn't even make sense when you actually look at it because it has nothing to do with mayonnaise. The ad revolves around people being themselves, showing images of those who aren't part of the 'five-to-nine', wear a suit to work, boring lifestyle. In the same way (?), Miracle Whip is not your father's boring mayonnaise, but it is the choice of free spirits and individual thinkers everywhere, so to be individual like them, do the same thing they do. You see the problem: in order to be an individual, you must do the same thing as other people. And if you aren't, then you are boring and just cut out of a cookie cutter. But if everyone buys the same product, then is that still being an individual? And how on God's green earth can mayonnaise make me...cooler, or more hip, or fly-er, or whatever the current slang for individualistic and unique (that everyone uses) is. It can't. And yet the commercial tries to convince me otherwise.
And it is the same with most products. No one wants to follow the crowd or be the same as everyone else, especially teenagers (more on that in a minute), so advertisers try to make everything seem cool, new, and fresh, and it is a mark of honour to be different and even weird. But the problem is, if a company is advertising you to buy their stuff, they don't want you to be an individual - they want you to buy their stuff, and then for you to get your friends to buy their stuff because that is how they make money, which is their goal. I'm not trying to be cynical here, I am just saying that most companies exist to make money, which makes sense because the people who work at these companies and who own these companies like to do things like eat and live in houses. And it is normal (though perhaps not beneficial) to want to have a great deal of money, so businesses want to be successful by selling more products. If everyone was truly individualistic like the commercials implied, then there would be way more companies, and each company would make less money because fewer people would buy from them.
The real paradoxical thing is the notion of wanting to be an individual, especially among teenagers. Teenagers want to fit in. They want to be part of a peer group and they don't want to be laughed at or thought of as different. Social cliques exist for a reason - a true individual, meaning someone who is different than everyone, is looked upon with disdain and distrust by everyone, and when you are fifteen, that is one of the most painful experiences possible. Gangs are successful and grow because they make kids feel like they have a family, even if being in that family can easily lead to prison or death, it is worth it because in that group, the teen feels like they belong.
And yet no teenager would ever admit to wanting to be part of the norm, to be nothing more than a cog in a machine. They want to be themselves, their own person, unique and special. They find a group that makes them feel that way and look down on everyone else for being part of another group because the other people are just following the herd while their group is breaking the mold, is successful, is popular, is whatever they feel they are. It is a paradox because the individual joins a group to be more of an individual than they can be on their own.
It is not just teenagers that experience such feelings. Even in adulthood people seek to belong while bemoaning anything that forces them to conform. It is a bizarre phenomenon to see. The most interesting part is how many people recognise this aspect in other people but don't acknowledge it in their own lives. I know I usually can't, though sometimes I look around at my world and situation and wonder.
The other part of marketing I would struggle with is trying to convince people to buy crap they don't need. "Hey, you there? Is your car still working fine? Yes? But is it brand new? No? That's too bad, because other people have brand new cars and that must mean they are more successful than you. Of course, if you buy this car, then people will know you are a successful stud muffin. That's right, come down and buy our car and people will like you better. Now dance for me puppet. Dance." That's basically what I hear when I watch commercials. I just can't do it.
Monty Python made a movie called Life of Brian. In that movie, some first century (around 30 A.D.) start following a guy named Brian, thinking he is the messiah, despite his protests to the contrary. In a bid to get them to stop following him, he start berating them for blindly following the herd and not thinking for themselves. Rather than listening to his 'sermon', they begin to repeat his words of wisdom without actually listening to them. "You're all individuals!" he says. "Yes," replies the crowd. "We're all individuals." "You're all different!" continues Brian. "We're all different!" repeats the crowd. "I'm not!" comes one lonely voice, only to be shushed by all around him. Who knew the people who brought you vikings singing about spam could be so absurdly profound.
Now, I realise there are a few...issues...that could be found with my arguments here. Not all teenagers are angst ridden attention seekers with self-esteem issues. There's a sixteen year old in Akron, Ohio who is very well adjusted for his age. And I am aware that not all advertising is for useless crap. I really do need a slap chop and a snuggie. And apparently beer will make me sexually virile and unbelievably attractive to the opposite sex. Actually, with enough beer, that last part might actually be true. I guess there is some truth in advertising...
But seriously, I do know that there are worthy causes that need promotion and attention. I'm just not sure if I could stomach to be part of the larger marketing world, even if my little corner is quite tidy and worthy.
But that's just me.
Also, the NFL sucks, but they have the money and the hype, so people think it is a better game. They're wrong.
Just wanted to get that off my chest.