Advertising and ID - want to do both, can’t decide, which would give me a better life! 
times running out for me -“HELP!”
They are very, very different feilds. Giving advice would be very difficult.
I’ll say this.
ID you are involved with the creation and definition of the product.
Advertising you are involved with creatively selling the product.
It really depends where you want to be in the whole mix. If you like coming up with ideas for things and seeing them through go ID, if you’d rather brainstorm around new ways to communicate to consumers, check out AdDesign.
I am in that situatin now. i am in footwear. but study graphic design at school. i am taking classes in advertising now. it is CUT THROAT. it is extremeiy hard. tough to even get into. Not so true tho, Yo. In advertising they do a lot of conceptual thinking. we dont change the product but they do i guess bring it to life and open it to the world. In advertising it is all about your ideas. and it is drilling, ideas after ideas. and you work in teams and or firms and get assignments. but it pays really well. most people in advertising get burnt out, that is what my professor told me. she is still doing it, but it can be dreading. but she says the rewards are great. to think that you have control over the culture and wht society does. advertising has great power.
it really does have to do with what you are most into creating a thing object like product design, or doing creative work that will get people to findout or use this thing tht has been created. i am not sure but I dont think you would be able to do both at the same time. unless you a robot freak…but ask your professors. also location is key in advertising. finding the right advertising adgency can be difficult
what i think is that you like product, but you like the way things look in ads…I might be wrong…but i used to feel this way, but decided tht the initail creation of the product was what i love.
both have there plus’s and minus;s
Design, good.
Advertising, evil.
Wait. How about: Good design doesn’t need evil advertising.
Think about it this way: If you were in say, the toy business, would you rather design toys for kids, or design the advertising designed to create artificial need for that toy?
What’s the difference?
You design the toy because advertising keeps people wanting to buy new toys. Either way you are contibuting to landfill.
At least you can earn a good living from advetising.
Get a job in advetising and then you can afford to surroud yourself with nice designs.
I dont know of anyone with a good living starting out in advertising. perhaps seasoned art directors and such, but creatives at entry level make crap pay just like the rest of us. I dont know how well huge advertising companies pay, but small-midsize dont make more than an entry level ID position.
ID = power over tangible physical matter
Advertising = power over poeple and society.
i think those are the main differences. they both influence the behaviors and habits of poeple in the end, but ID does so more indirectly. theyre both demanding and can burn u out and both require heavy idea generation and such. i went through the same dilemma. i have a first BS in marketing, and worked in advertising on the account management side before going back to school for ID. and yes, advertising can be very difficult to get into.
Have you thought about getting a degree in ID with a minor in GD…
… then pursuing a job in packaging or POP?