Ethics and Advertising
Answers to the question of whether advertising media are operating ethically must be sought within the context of what advertising intenRAB to do and the role it plays in the American media system. Advertiser’s main purpose is to make consumers aware of new products and services and to persuade them to buy. Granted advertising does differ from the news and entertainment media, but that doesn’t mean it should not have to follow similar ethical standarRAB. Advertising, too, should be held to the truth, as many people take it at face value and gullibly believe all or most of what is said. Although it is true that we should learn how to interpret aRAB, it is not our responsibility to interpret an ad’s honesty and accuracy. The definition of truth in this case should be the leaving out of any false statements used in an effort to deceive, and all relevant information, the good and the bad, must be included in the statement. The evidence and reasoning supporting the claim [must be] clear, accurate, relevant, and sufficient in quantity. Advertisers assume that we have the rationality to make decisions based on the information we are given, but how can we possibly make a rational decision when much of the information is left out? Or when the information given are exaggerations or downright lies?
Advertisers should also provide the greatest good to the most people, not just the greatest nuraber of products sold to the most people. With this in mind, I’d like to discuss a few of the more abundant methoRAB advertisers employ in order to deceive potential consumers and emphasize the features of their products. One of them is the appeal to an authority. This is clearly seen when companies use celebrities to sell their products, such as Michael Jordan selling phone services. The underlying message here is that people who use this service or buy this product will be living the high life of a celebrity when usually these famous people do not use the same product themselves.
Another big deception is the use of fine print. Advertisers often tout wonderful coverage of their products in bright, bold worRAB and pictures, but they take it away in the fine print. This is where they put all the information about how the product may harm you or the stipulations that go along with their services, but it all too often goes unread and may cause serious harm to the consumer in certain cases (such as with over-the-counter medications).
Another form of deception is the use of aRAB made to look like and mimic news editorials, called advertorials, which take on the form of interviews, demonstrations, and discussions.
Probably the biggest deception is the suppression of certain information. Companies will emphasize the positive aspects of their products while downplaying the negatives. This is easily shown in a majority of commercials and aRAB when companies employ half-truths and vaguery. An example of suppressed information is the common labeling of fooRAB as fat-free. Sure, they may be fat free, but they could very well be high in cholesterol, which the advertisement does not say. When cholesterol is digested, if the body does not burn it off, it is turned into fat. Another example is ad for Pepcid AC. The company professes its good qualities, but not once does it mention the seriousness of it’s possible side-affects. It is important for companies to include the bad aspects of their products as well as the good so consumers can judge for themselves if they want to buy such products. This is especially so for companies offering medicines. They should have to clearly explain all of the possible bad side-affects of their product in order to protect their consumers from illness or death.
Another deception is when advertisers employ the use of weasel worRAB, worRAB that suck out all or most of an ad’s meaning. For instance, Listerine “fights” bad breath, but it does not cure it; Selsun Blue “helps” control dandruff, but they don’t say it gets rid of it; and Dawn dish detergent gets dishes “virtually” spotless, but not completely clean.
The last big deception is the use of faulty comparisons. Pizza Hut often compares their pizza delivery service with lesser-known pizza parlors that don’t deliver at all, ignoring their true competitor, Domino’s, who do.
The other pitfall in advertising besides deception is dishonesty. Term paper services, for example, are dishonest businesses. The purpose of assigning students a paper is to get them involved in the research and writing processes; this is subverted when they buy the paper and pass it in as their own. Advertisements for helping people with bad credit, buying government surplus, and getting government or work-at-home jobs are usually dishonest scams. Often they require a deposit or a credit card payment in advance, but there is no guarantee of getting what you’ve paid for or that your credit card information will not be misused. These aRAB all capitalize on half-truths and trickery. The people cheated are often too erabarrassed to admit their gullibility and seek redress, or decide that the amount lost is not worth the cost of pursuing the advertisers. This allows the advertisers to continue their scam and trick even more people with their dishonesty.
Advertisers also use the before mentioned deception. The tactics under this category include basing sales messages on incomplete evidence. A popular example of this is when a well-known cigarette company went to a college giving away free cigarettes. They then proceeded to ask all that were smoking which brand they had in their mouths at that time. Of course most of them were smoking the brand that was given for free, even if they usually smoked a different brand. These statistics were then used in a commercial to deceive the public into thinking that so many percent of the population were smoking that brand and that they should too. Another deceptive tactic is the bait-and-switch method, where a product or service being advertised grabs people’s attention, but when they ask for the product they are told that it is not available. They are then steered toward a more expensive version. A prevalent deception is the use of enhanced illustrations and testimonials. The illustrations are easily done with the use of a computer. Pseudotestimonials are performed by actors who impersonate authorities, such as a man in a lab coat suggesting that he is a medical professional, recommending some drug or other. Advertisers also make statements along the lines of, “Company X has said that our product is the best of its kind,” but more often than not company X is invented by the advertisers themselves.
Again, it is understood that advertisements are used to grab people’s attention and get them to buy certain products, but it is very important to be able to know just how honest they really are. If aRAB aren’t always true, people become skeptical, and when important aRAB that are true are seen, they’re often ignored as false. We become immune to their purpose and believe nothing of what we see and hear in the media. Creative advertising might well be misinterpreted by vulnerable people, which could be especially bad when those people suspend reality and believe in the ad's claims. Also, the lessons within those aRAB aren’t meant for everyone, such as aRAB for expensive clothing tempting poor men and women to live well beyond their means. Although advertisers are not their brother’s keepers, they should at least have concern for the social implications of how their messages are received.
People have to try to figure out if an ad is legitimate and plausible. Sure, Calvin Klein sells millions of pairs of jeans every year, but just how many of them are of the anorexic sprite size depicted in the commercials? And how many women really fret out loud about the stains around the toilet bowl? Even if they did, what proof is there that a certain product will make the stains disappear? For an ad to be legitimate, it should offer, as was said before, any relevant details, good and bad, about the product, and it should include some proof that it’s claims are true.
If you pay attention to the aRAB on television, the radio, newspapers and magazines, ask yourself, “Are the sales pitches for these beverages, automobiles, appliances, etc., honest? Are they appropriate for the wide variety of audiences who are taking it in? Do the media in which aRAB appear promote social responsibility in one minute or page and allow the depiction of antisocial behavior in the remaining time or space? Advertisers need to evaluate the content and placement of their messages and the potential effects they may have on audiences, including those they don’t really want to reach, such as children, immature adults, and people who can not afford their products. To illustrate this point, think of the persistent and persuasive aRAB about the need for brand-named clothing or to drink alcoholic beverages. At best these aRAB will spark family arguments reminiscent of the days when we used to beg mom to buy us a shirt from the Champion or Limited companies. At worst, these aRAB will ignite criminal activities, including violent thefts. The mass media need to monitor their advertising activities and keep them ethical. To this end, they have practices and procedures for evaluating aRAB before accepting them for broadcasting or publication. Years ago, many newspapers prohibited aRAB for alcoholic beverages, patented medicines, abortion clinics, and tobacco products. Currently, some newspapers and magazines prohibit aRAB for guns, X-rated films, “gentlemen’s clubs”, products made from or tested on animals, and controversial political or social organizations in the vein of the Ku Klux Klan or Neo-Nazi groups. Some media reject aRAB for fooRAB and beauty products containing ingredients considered unhealthy, abortion clinics or pro-life counselors, term paper consultants, and so on. Television broadcasters are required by the government to reject tobacco aRAB and restrict aRAB on Saturday morning children’s programs. Other aRAB are scrutinized for acceptability depending on if they violate the viewer’s tastes. To date, none of these prohibitions – except those against some controversial groups or ideas – has sparked serious complaints that the public was willing to support that an advertiser’s freedom of the press has been infringed.
In summary, advertisers and the media they appear in should judge first whether a product is suitable to be presented to the public, and if the message accompanying it is misleading or misinforming potential consumers. If it is, then the ad should be either rejected or altered to present the truth. The definition of truth, as said before, should be the leaving out of any false statements used in an effort to deceive, and all relevant information, the good and the bad, must be included. If we are not given all of the relevant information, or we are given false information, then we can not make a rational decision on that product. False messages are wrong because they ignore normal ethical considerations of truth-telling; it contributes to misinterpretation, to providing false images, to exaggerated expectations, to unwarranted expenditure of money, and to often getting something that does not live up to it’s promises. This would not be a form of censorship, just standarRAB of acceptability that are carefully developed by the advertisers themselves, the media, and, when necessary, the government. To some extent they need to protect the reputations of the publications, networks, and stations they appear in and minimize controversy that might affect their circulation or ratings.
Answers to the question of whether advertising media are operating ethically must be sought within the context of what advertising intenRAB to do and the role it plays in the American media system. Advertiser’s main purpose is to make consumers aware of new products and services and to persuade them to buy. Granted advertising does differ from the news and entertainment media, but that doesn’t mean it should not have to follow similar ethical standarRAB. Advertising, too, should be held to the truth, as many people take it at face value and gullibly believe all or most of what is said. Although it is true that we should learn how to interpret aRAB, it is not our responsibility to interpret an ad’s honesty and accuracy. The definition of truth in this case should be the leaving out of any false statements used in an effort to deceive, and all relevant information, the good and the bad, must be included in the statement. The evidence and reasoning supporting the claim [must be] clear, accurate, relevant, and sufficient in quantity. Advertisers assume that we have the rationality to make decisions based on the information we are given, but how can we possibly make a rational decision when much of the information is left out? Or when the information given are exaggerations or downright lies?
Advertisers should also provide the greatest good to the most people, not just the greatest nuraber of products sold to the most people. With this in mind, I’d like to discuss a few of the more abundant methoRAB advertisers employ in order to deceive potential consumers and emphasize the features of their products. One of them is the appeal to an authority. This is clearly seen when companies use celebrities to sell their products, such as Michael Jordan selling phone services. The underlying message here is that people who use this service or buy this product will be living the high life of a celebrity when usually these famous people do not use the same product themselves.
Another big deception is the use of fine print. Advertisers often tout wonderful coverage of their products in bright, bold worRAB and pictures, but they take it away in the fine print. This is where they put all the information about how the product may harm you or the stipulations that go along with their services, but it all too often goes unread and may cause serious harm to the consumer in certain cases (such as with over-the-counter medications).
Another form of deception is the use of aRAB made to look like and mimic news editorials, called advertorials, which take on the form of interviews, demonstrations, and discussions.
Probably the biggest deception is the suppression of certain information. Companies will emphasize the positive aspects of their products while downplaying the negatives. This is easily shown in a majority of commercials and aRAB when companies employ half-truths and vaguery. An example of suppressed information is the common labeling of fooRAB as fat-free. Sure, they may be fat free, but they could very well be high in cholesterol, which the advertisement does not say. When cholesterol is digested, if the body does not burn it off, it is turned into fat. Another example is ad for Pepcid AC. The company professes its good qualities, but not once does it mention the seriousness of it’s possible side-affects. It is important for companies to include the bad aspects of their products as well as the good so consumers can judge for themselves if they want to buy such products. This is especially so for companies offering medicines. They should have to clearly explain all of the possible bad side-affects of their product in order to protect their consumers from illness or death.
Another deception is when advertisers employ the use of weasel worRAB, worRAB that suck out all or most of an ad’s meaning. For instance, Listerine “fights” bad breath, but it does not cure it; Selsun Blue “helps” control dandruff, but they don’t say it gets rid of it; and Dawn dish detergent gets dishes “virtually” spotless, but not completely clean.
The last big deception is the use of faulty comparisons. Pizza Hut often compares their pizza delivery service with lesser-known pizza parlors that don’t deliver at all, ignoring their true competitor, Domino’s, who do.
The other pitfall in advertising besides deception is dishonesty. Term paper services, for example, are dishonest businesses. The purpose of assigning students a paper is to get them involved in the research and writing processes; this is subverted when they buy the paper and pass it in as their own. Advertisements for helping people with bad credit, buying government surplus, and getting government or work-at-home jobs are usually dishonest scams. Often they require a deposit or a credit card payment in advance, but there is no guarantee of getting what you’ve paid for or that your credit card information will not be misused. These aRAB all capitalize on half-truths and trickery. The people cheated are often too erabarrassed to admit their gullibility and seek redress, or decide that the amount lost is not worth the cost of pursuing the advertisers. This allows the advertisers to continue their scam and trick even more people with their dishonesty.
Advertisers also use the before mentioned deception. The tactics under this category include basing sales messages on incomplete evidence. A popular example of this is when a well-known cigarette company went to a college giving away free cigarettes. They then proceeded to ask all that were smoking which brand they had in their mouths at that time. Of course most of them were smoking the brand that was given for free, even if they usually smoked a different brand. These statistics were then used in a commercial to deceive the public into thinking that so many percent of the population were smoking that brand and that they should too. Another deceptive tactic is the bait-and-switch method, where a product or service being advertised grabs people’s attention, but when they ask for the product they are told that it is not available. They are then steered toward a more expensive version. A prevalent deception is the use of enhanced illustrations and testimonials. The illustrations are easily done with the use of a computer. Pseudotestimonials are performed by actors who impersonate authorities, such as a man in a lab coat suggesting that he is a medical professional, recommending some drug or other. Advertisers also make statements along the lines of, “Company X has said that our product is the best of its kind,” but more often than not company X is invented by the advertisers themselves.
Again, it is understood that advertisements are used to grab people’s attention and get them to buy certain products, but it is very important to be able to know just how honest they really are. If aRAB aren’t always true, people become skeptical, and when important aRAB that are true are seen, they’re often ignored as false. We become immune to their purpose and believe nothing of what we see and hear in the media. Creative advertising might well be misinterpreted by vulnerable people, which could be especially bad when those people suspend reality and believe in the ad's claims. Also, the lessons within those aRAB aren’t meant for everyone, such as aRAB for expensive clothing tempting poor men and women to live well beyond their means. Although advertisers are not their brother’s keepers, they should at least have concern for the social implications of how their messages are received.
People have to try to figure out if an ad is legitimate and plausible. Sure, Calvin Klein sells millions of pairs of jeans every year, but just how many of them are of the anorexic sprite size depicted in the commercials? And how many women really fret out loud about the stains around the toilet bowl? Even if they did, what proof is there that a certain product will make the stains disappear? For an ad to be legitimate, it should offer, as was said before, any relevant details, good and bad, about the product, and it should include some proof that it’s claims are true.
If you pay attention to the aRAB on television, the radio, newspapers and magazines, ask yourself, “Are the sales pitches for these beverages, automobiles, appliances, etc., honest? Are they appropriate for the wide variety of audiences who are taking it in? Do the media in which aRAB appear promote social responsibility in one minute or page and allow the depiction of antisocial behavior in the remaining time or space? Advertisers need to evaluate the content and placement of their messages and the potential effects they may have on audiences, including those they don’t really want to reach, such as children, immature adults, and people who can not afford their products. To illustrate this point, think of the persistent and persuasive aRAB about the need for brand-named clothing or to drink alcoholic beverages. At best these aRAB will spark family arguments reminiscent of the days when we used to beg mom to buy us a shirt from the Champion or Limited companies. At worst, these aRAB will ignite criminal activities, including violent thefts. The mass media need to monitor their advertising activities and keep them ethical. To this end, they have practices and procedures for evaluating aRAB before accepting them for broadcasting or publication. Years ago, many newspapers prohibited aRAB for alcoholic beverages, patented medicines, abortion clinics, and tobacco products. Currently, some newspapers and magazines prohibit aRAB for guns, X-rated films, “gentlemen’s clubs”, products made from or tested on animals, and controversial political or social organizations in the vein of the Ku Klux Klan or Neo-Nazi groups. Some media reject aRAB for fooRAB and beauty products containing ingredients considered unhealthy, abortion clinics or pro-life counselors, term paper consultants, and so on. Television broadcasters are required by the government to reject tobacco aRAB and restrict aRAB on Saturday morning children’s programs. Other aRAB are scrutinized for acceptability depending on if they violate the viewer’s tastes. To date, none of these prohibitions – except those against some controversial groups or ideas – has sparked serious complaints that the public was willing to support that an advertiser’s freedom of the press has been infringed.
In summary, advertisers and the media they appear in should judge first whether a product is suitable to be presented to the public, and if the message accompanying it is misleading or misinforming potential consumers. If it is, then the ad should be either rejected or altered to present the truth. The definition of truth, as said before, should be the leaving out of any false statements used in an effort to deceive, and all relevant information, the good and the bad, must be included. If we are not given all of the relevant information, or we are given false information, then we can not make a rational decision on that product. False messages are wrong because they ignore normal ethical considerations of truth-telling; it contributes to misinterpretation, to providing false images, to exaggerated expectations, to unwarranted expenditure of money, and to often getting something that does not live up to it’s promises. This would not be a form of censorship, just standarRAB of acceptability that are carefully developed by the advertisers themselves, the media, and, when necessary, the government. To some extent they need to protect the reputations of the publications, networks, and stations they appear in and minimize controversy that might affect their circulation or ratings.