The motif of advertising symbolizes illusion versus reality in McFadden’s novel. In her job at Stewart Advertising, the protagonist manufactures fantasies to manipulate the desires of consumers. Abby’s campaign for the baby product manufacturer Cuddles exemplifies the inauthentic nature of advertising. Jed Cofield’s insistence that an “ugly” baby is removed from the website highlights his desire for an unrealistically airbrushed image that does not reflect actuality. Abby’s creation of a webpage “filled with dozens of pictures of cherubic babies with halos on their heads” presents a marketable vision of infants targeted at new parents (5). The angelic images also reflect Abby’s idealized notion of motherhood. Abby’s creation of the Cuddles tagline “because your baby deserves the best” while privately critiquing the “shoddy” quality of their goods highlights the dishonest nature of advertising campaigns (138). Jed’s observation that the slogan is “clean, simple…and it guilt trips the parents into paying a little more for [their] baby food” further conveys how advertisements often dupe consumers with persuasive tactics (138).

McFadden’s depiction of the advertising industry mirrors how the characters “sell” modified versions of themselves to influence others. For example, Abby’s investment in an Armani suit reflects her belief that to secure the trust of important clients, she must appear successful.