The idea feels like sci-fi because you’re so used to it, imagining ads gone feels like asking to outlaw gravity. But humanity had been free of current forms of advertising for 99.9% of its existence. Word-of-mouth and community networks worked just fine. First-party websites and online communities would now improve on that.
The traditional argument pro-advertising—that it provides consumers with necessary information—hasn’t been valid for decades.
Certain types of advertising is illegal where I’m from. In particular: political adverts of any kind, and ads that target children.
Where is this utopia?
No idea where they live but here in Germany ads for political parties are severely limited except during the months leading up to an election and advertising aimed a children is harshly regulated.