While I agree with your parent that advertising can help people enjoy things more, I don't agree with the implication there's a positive side to ads. Everything I can think of that people enjoy more because of advertising, they'd probably be happier not enjoying.

Also: advertising can make you enjoy things less (usually things you already have). Maybe things you'd be happier if you enjoyed more.

By pre-configuring your initial reaction or associating it with something positive you feel actually better about it. There are plenty of documented examples of this:

Patients being told that they are switched from a brand drug to a generic one report worse results, or the mere increase in the price tag of a drug increases placebo effects.

Its a completely different experience to drink a coke from an official can, than to drink it from a silver-slated can and being told "it is cola".

And lets not even get into politics! Basically the game of changing how people react to moral issues.

The person that believes ads and marketing have no effect on what they like simply doesn't understand himself.