I agree that Apple marketing is often sensationalized with word like "Magical" and "Revolutionary", and you look passed that, but unless you live deep in the woods with no electricity, I find it hard to believe that you are able to escape marketing and the influence it has. That's like saying money/price has no influence on your purchases. I can say for certain that some people despise a company based on its marketing tactics which would qualify as an "influence". Nowadays it's rare, but there are people that claim Apple sold 500 million some iPods just because of crafty marketing and its dumb blind followers. I claim that, not only are they very successful at their marketing but I would give them the merit of investing heavily in R&D and new productive capabilities while its competitors spent twice, three times even four times the money into plastering stadiums and public transportation with their advertisement. Apple products of last 15 or so years are very much Iconic and people are idiots regardless of which phone they use. I think there might even be a pie chart or two out there that show a higher IQ amongst iPhone users.
To get back to the toilet paper. Quilted is great. How did you find out about it? TV? Packaging? Voice from the heavens?
That said, technology will not save us and money is the root of all evil. Death to capitalism and crass materialism. PS Fuck AT&T and their evil marketing tactics, and yes anybody that bought the 6 through AT&T's payment plan system are idiots.. more like victims. You should have heard the fucker at the store. He kept telling me how their prices were "transparent" - I kept thinking "What are you the fucking Obama administration?"