You’re Soaking In It

You’re Soaking In It is a documentary directed by Scott Harper that dives into the technology behind today’s advertising industry and how it operates in the digital space. The film premiered at the Hot Docs International Film Festival this past April.

You’re Soaking In It is a chilling look at advertising in the age of algorithms. Brands are getting deeper into our heads than ever, much more than Don Draper could have ever imagined. The seismic shift from old school, gut instinct ads to the data driven campaigns of today are threatening our private lives in ways few of us understand. We’re all soaking in it, whether we know it or not. Advertising as we knew it is dead. What used to be quaint is now quantifiable. Best guesses and creative leaps have been replaced by precise, targeted surveillance and ‘Big Data’, rooted in hard science, complicated math, and advanced computer modeling. The data is often very personal information, used to design advertising specifically tailored to influence you at the precise moment you are most ready to spend. Depending on your personal view, it’s either the height of convenience … or the end of a private, respectful society.

You’re Soaking In It opens at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema on November 24. Visit HotDocs.ca for more information.