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They invade almost every moment of our waking lives, and now not even the pavements outside our front doors are safe from adverts.
At least one company is making money from stencilling promotional messages on to inner-city Auckland pavements, despite a city council bylaw making it illegal.
But that hasn't stopped the council employing the same company to get its own messages across, much to the annoyance of Mayor John Banks.
Dominion Breweries, sponsors of the Heineken Open men's tennis tournament, is the latest company to use Ambient Advertising, after fast-food company KFC and the people behind the Hollywood movie Max Payne, starring Mark Wahlberg.
The stencils, on Ponsonby and Jervois Rds were reported to the council by a member of the public. DB was given 24 hours to wash them off.
Now two council campaigns are in the firing line, with Banks acknowledging the organisation could be accused of hypocrisy.
One message is sprayed outside bars reminding patrons not to drink and drive and the other promotes pedestrian safety.
"It was always going to be a silly idea and everyone knew it would lead to this situation," said Banks.
"I don't think that the council can have rules for itself and other sets of rules for other individuals."
While he thought the intention was good, Banks said "every man and his dog" would soon be spraying their ads all over the footpaths.
Although the fine for breaching the council bylaw is just $100 plus the cost of the clean-up, Banks said he didn't want to get heavy-handed yet.
Council street amenity services manager Kevin Marriot defended the council campaigns, saying they were a short-term, non-profit bid to promote safe behaviour and a good use of ratepayers' money.
However, he confirmed that the council turned down all of the many external applications it received for footpath advertising.
Ambient Advertising director Chris Monaghan said about 30 ads for the Heineken Open were washed off this week, although his company tried to negotiate an extension to the council's 24-hour deadline.
Monaghan said such campaigns were cost-effective, short-term and among an array of "guerilla" advertising techniques. "It gets to street level and has that cool, sexy factor. I guess we're going to see this sort of media pop up again and again."
Keep New Zealand Beautiful chief executive Simon Payne said the council was harsh to order the removal of the tennis stencils because it was one of Auckland's top summer events.
However, he thought the KFC and Max Payne ads were "blatant advertising and visual pollution."
Research suggests the average American is exposed to up to 3000 ads a day.
