So what counts as success? What counts as quality? When do we think of ourselves as having achieved our potential? And if the trajectory of our life reaches its highest point half way along, do we spend the first half of life looking forwards in anticipation, and the second half looking back with nostalgia or regret? Some might argue that the matter is simple; the image says it all. We see a product, an image, a dream: a bronzed, muscular hunk of a man; a shapely girl wearing innocently provocative clothes, simpering as she sips her drink; a happy family gathered around a table in awe at the meal the mother has produced instantly and cheaply – two for the price of one, on special offer, and all's well with the world. If the advertisement succeeds we say to ourselves, not just “I want to be like that!” but “I can be like that!”, as we reach for our credit cards. And we do not even need to believe that an advertisement is making a serious life suggestion; humour works equally well. One image, in the weekend colour supplement of a quality newspaper, depicted a handsome man relaxing at the back of a speedboat, casually holding a bottle of water as his craft cut through the azure sea. At first glance, you do not see what product it might be selling. Boats? Swimwear? But then you spot in a lower corner the words “Serving suggestion” set alongside the label of that bottle of water.