Study finds the middle class portrayed in advertising is twice the size of the real middle class in the U.S. “Between WWII and 1980, all social classes in the U.S. grew at about the same rate as income. From 1980 ’til now, income inequality has increased and our upward mobility has stagnated. The bottom line is, we live in a different world but advertising is still behaving as if we don’t.” Article: The Ad Industry Keeps Selling An American Dream That Most Aren’t Living