Does advertising work

Yes, it certainly does. We do need "things" and we need to decide which to buy, so most of us depend on advertising to help with the decision. Advertising can make a product much more popular and profitable than a very similar product that doesn't have a strong advertising strategy.

The effectiveness of advertising is evidenced by the enormous industries that have no basis for being other than their advertising convinces people that they need the product and people buy it in large numbers, such as the weight loss industry and manufactured "healthy foods". Millions and millions have been made in the weight loss industry, while Americans are getting more and more obese; programs and products in this industry rate only 5-10% effective, meaning 90-95% ineffective, no matter who's selling it. Manufactured foods advertised as being "healthy", and therefore preferable ignores the fact that real food is healthy, in fact healthier because it is as our bodies evolved needing and utilizing it. So, it's advertising that has made such industries flourish.