The advertising has always been meaningless to me, even when I was a kid in the 50s, 60s when everyone was into TV I never paid much attention. I ocasionally get a laugh from one but the funny ones are few and far between. I mostly ignore them and they have never swayed me to buy anything I didn’t need or want. American advertising on TV is proof that any idiot can become a marketing executive and that there are a lot of people out there with mush between the ears.
You sound like me. I always saw ads at aimed at someone besides me. I do think they mold one’s world view in subtle ways. though.