Title of the Project “MORALITY IN ADVERTISING”
Subject: Business Ethics
Submitted by Name of the Student: Precely Paul MMM – Semester - VI Roll No. 76
Morality In Advertising
Morality In Advertising
INTRODUCTION
Morality in Advertising ‗We make you want, what you don‘t need‘. Advertising has moved from the unique selling
proposition to the emotional selling proposition. Of all the major perspectives by which people construe the world, advertising is at once among the most influential and the least examined. Advertising saturates our social life. We participate daily in deciphering advertising images and messages. Yet, because advertisements are so pervasive and our reading of them so routine, we tend to take for granted the deep social assumptions embedded in advertisements. We do not ordinarily recognise advertising as a sphere of ideology. Advertising can be very simple — a local, even neighborhood phenomenon — or it can be very complex, involving sophisticated research and multimedia campaigns that span the globe. Not only are many different media and techniques employed in advertising; advertising itself is of several different kinds: commercial advertising for products and services; public service advertising on behalf of various institutions, programs, and causes; and — a phenomenon of growing importance today — political advertising in the interests of parties and candidates. Making allowance for the differences among the different kinds and methods of advertising, we intend what follows to be applicable to them all. Advertisers are selective about the values and attitudes to be fostered and encouraged, promoting some while ignoring others. This selectivity gives the lie to the notion that advertising does no more than reflect the surrounding culture. For example, the absence from advertising of certain racial and ethnic groups in some multi-racial or multi-ethnic societies can help to create problems of image and identity, especially among those neglected, and the almost inevitable impression in commercial advertising that an abundance of possessions leads to happiness and fulfillment can be both misleading and frustrating.
Advertising also has an indirect but powerful impact on society through its influence on media. Many publications and broadcasting operations depend on advertising revenue for survival. This often is true of religious media as well as commercial media. For their part, advertisers naturally seek to reach audiences; and the media, striving to deliver audiences to advertisers, must shape their content so to attract audiences of the size and demographic composition sought. This economic dependency of media and the power it confers upon advertisers carries with it serious responsibilities for both. Today, in every category products and brands concentrate on marketing, promotion and advertising of itself. The absolute persuasion on the consumers to purchase the product immaterial of its consumption criteria is sidelined concentrating more on extending the sales and the net profitability of the company. Our reason for addressing these matters is simple. In today's society, advertising has a profound impact on how people understand life, the world and themselves, especially in regard to their values and their ways of choosing and behaving.
Benefits Of Advertising Advertising is the most important tool in the marketing of products and services. Companies all over the world universally accepted this fact. The expenses on advertising are considered to be a profitable investment that reaps profits both in the long and short run. Businesses that keep on advertising regardless of rise or fall in the economic times get a competitive advantage over those that cut their ad budgets. There are many benefits of advertising which include: 1. Information to the customer.
Advertisement about new products keeps the customer informed about the new developments in the industry. They help to provide them information regarding the newly launched products. 2. Takes care of customers.
Advertising takes care of customers. It helps in holding on to the loyal customer, decreasing the number of lost customers and enlisting new customers. Thus the overall effect of advertising is increase in the number of customers that will gradually become loyal to the product.
3. Improves the sale of product.
Advertising facilitates a noticeable increase in the sale of the product. It thus helps reduces per unit cost of the product and help the businesses to earn profits.
4. Alters the attitudes of people.
An effectual advertisement results in a swift change in the attitudes and habits of the people.
5. Direct communication.
In earlier days customers believed on the opinions of retailers, when making the purchases of products. With the rapid spread of media and advertising to every nook and corner of the world, people have become aware of the various products that are available in the same
category and the freebees and benefits of purchasing them. So the companies or manufacturers are able to communicate their message directly to the customers.
6. Increase employment.
Advertising is a complicated task and a lot of people are involved in the making of an advertisement. Research team, design team and many other people are required to make and deliver it. So, advertisements generate employment for a lot of people. 7. Economic progress.
Advertising increases sales, employment and profits. The overall effect of all this is economic progress for the nation, or more broadly for the world as a whole. Business owners often don‘t realize that one of the benefits of advertising is making potential customers feel more
confident in a business they see advertised. It gives them the sense that the business is professional, stable and reputable. 8. Religious and moral benefits.
Social and religious institutions use advertising for communicating their messages like messages of patriotism, faith, compassion tolerance, and charity toward needy, messages related to health and education. These educate people and guide better behavior. 9. Political Benefits
Political advertising can make a contribution to democracy analogous to its contribution to economic well being in a market system guided by moral norms. As free and responsible media in a democratic system help to counteract tendencies toward the monopolization of power on the part of oligarchies and special interests, so political advertising can make its contribution by informing people about the ideas and policy proposals of parties and candidates, including new candidates not previously known to the public.
Summary on The Benefits of Advertising
Economic: useful tool for sustaining honest and ethically responsible competition by informing people of the availability of rationally desirable new products and services and improvements in existing ones
Political: helps counteract tendencies toward the monopolization of power by informing people of the ideas and policy proposals of parties and candidates
Cultural: can exert a positive influence on decisions about media content; contribute the betterment of society by uplifting and inspiring people and motivating them to act in ways that benefit themselves and others. Importance of witty, tasteful and entertaining advertising, even to the point of becoming art.1
Moral and Religious: communicate messages of faith, patriotism, tolerance, compassion and neighborly service, charity, health, education
Disadvantages of Advertising There is nothing intrinsically good or intrinsically evil about advertising. It is a tool, an instrument: it can be used well, and it can be used badly. If it can have, and sometimes does have, beneficial results such as those just described, it also can, and often does, have a negative, harmful impact on individuals and society. If harmful or utterly useless goods are touted to the public, if false assertions are made about goods for sale, if less than admirable human tendencies are exploited, those responsible for such advertising harm society and forfeit their good name and credibility. More than this, unremitting pressure to buy articles of luxury can arouse false wants that hurt both individuals and families by making them ignore what they really need. And those forms of advertising which, without shame, exploit the sexual instincts simply to make money or which seek to penetrate into the subconscious recesses of the mind in a way that threatens the freedom of the individual. 1. Costly Functions
The strong objection and arguments against the advertising is that it is a costly function. It is generally criticized that the cost of advertising to too high and that such high cost is covered by the selling price of the advertising goods. Advertisement is considered as an indirect cost which is added in the distribution expenses. When expenses are to be increased, the selling price of the products will also be enhanced. It is true factor because large advertisers spend thousand of Rupees for advertising in a week. In one study it is found that advertising cost exceeded 6% of sales. It means that consumers will have to pay higher prices of the advertised products. But if the goods were not advertised the cost of advertisement cannot become burden on the consumer. Thus the unbalanced advertising may cause certain goods to cost the consumers more than they should. So it is regarded as an economic waste. 2. Misleading claims Some advertisers cleverly create a misleading impressions of their goods. They present a very rosy picture of their products, before the consumers with the object of increasing their sales. 3. Encourage monopoly
Advertisement restricts the competition among the products. Big industrialists and manufacturers may exercise their monopolistic control over the market with the help of advertisement technique which is always against the public interest. 4. High prices It is undoubtedly true that effective advertising increase the sales volume. This increased sale will require more products. Thus the large scale production brings down the cost of goods per unit due to economies in various sectors which reduces the consumes selling prices. But the producers do not lower the prices and the burden of advertising remains on the shoulders of consumers. 5. Disconnection of business Small firms cannot properly advertise their products due to limited resources. But on the other side entire market is controlled over by great advertisers. It becomes impossible for small firms to continue their business in the business field so small firms disappear form the market. 6. Influences purchasing power Advertising goods are generally available in the market at high prices which influence the purchasing power of the consumers. So some people use foul means to increase their income for the purpose of meeting their necessities of life. Thus unnecessary advertising creates the corruption in the society. 7. Misuse of advertising Some beautiful switch lights hoardings, posters and moving pictures are fixed generally in front of some important road for places which have been harmed by the misuse of advertising. Glaring red neon lights have actually been hazards at certain cross roads. 8. Creating unrequited desire Another objection is that advertising influences the mind of public. It creates the desire and taste for new products which are not actually necessities of life and income of consumers will
not let them enjoy. Advertising may thus be regarded as the cause of unrequited desire which may result in unhappiness. 9. Promotion of social evil Some firms present immoral program and features and crime stories in Television and Radio for advertising their products which have a very bad influence upon new generation. So advertising results in creating social evils in the society and wasting of economy. 10. Buying problems There are numerous similar types of products which are advertised in the market. But producers lay great emphasis on minor differences in the formula or technique of advertised goods. For example there are many brands of advertised Shaving Creams which perform the same function. But is has become impossible for the average buyer to judge with any certainly the quality of the hundreds of articles he buys. Miscellaneous objection
(a) Inferior quality of goods are introduced in the market to deceive the consumers. (b) The new firm having limited resources cannot compete with a already established big firms, with the help of advertising. (c) A large firm can divert demand from one product to another with the help of advertisement. (d) Consumer's choice is greatly injured by the advertisement. (e) As advertising is a comparatively new art so certain media of advertisement is ineffective and inefficient than it could be.
Summary on The Harms of Advertising
Economic: misrepresent and without relevant facts; subvert the media by pressure not to treat of questions that are embarrassing and inconvenient; tout harmful or useless goods; move people based on non-rational decisions; become a tool of "consumerism"; particularly harmful in economically less developed countries.
Political: costs of advertising can limit political competition to wealthy candidates or to those willing to compromise their integrity; distorts the views and records of opponents
Cultural: corrupt culture and cultural values by contradicting sound traditional values; can create superficiality, tawdriness, and moral squalor; ignore educational and social needs of certain segments of the audience; contributes to stereotyping of particular groups
Moral and religious harms: deliberate appeals to motives of envy, status seeking, and lust creates vulgar and morally degrading advertising; treat of religion in obnoxious and offensive manners; can promote morally suspect or perverse products and practices
Moral & Ethical Principles of Advertising Principles especially relevant to Advertising
The media of social communications have two options, and only two. Either they help human persons to grow in their understanding and practice of what is true and good, or they are destructive forces in conflict with human well being. That is entirely true of advertising. Against this background, then, we point to this fundamental principle for people engaged in advertising: advertisers — that is, those who commission, prepare or disseminate advertising — are morally responsible for what they seek to move people to do; and this is a
responsibility also shared by publishers, broadcasting executives, and others in the communications world, as well as by those who give commercial or political endorsements, to the extent that they are involved in the advertising process. If an instance of advertising seeks to move people to choose and act rationally in morally good ways that are of true benefit to themselves and others, persons involved in it do what is morally good; if it seeks to move people to do evil deeds that are self-destructive and destructive of authentic community, they do evil. This applies also to the means and the techniques of advertising: it is morally wrong to use manipulative, exploitative, corrupt and corrupting methods of persuasion and motivation. In this regard, we note special problems associated with so-called indirect advertising that attempts to move people to act in certain ways — for example, purchase particular products — without their being fully aware that they are being swayed. The techniques involved here include showing certain products or forms of behavior in superficially glamorous settings associated with superficially glamorous people; in extreme cases, it may even involve the use of subliminal messages. Within this very general framework, we can identify several moral principles that are particularly relevant to advertising. Three Specific Moral Principles
RESPECT TRUTHFULNESS (deception objection)
Never directly intend to deceive
Never use simply untrue advertising
Do not distort the truth by implying things that are not so or withholding relevant facts
"Puffery" is acceptable where it is consonant with recognized and accepted rhetorical and symbolic practice.
RESPECT THE DIGNITY OF EACH HUMAN PERSON (attacks autonomy objection)
Do not exploit our "lower inclinations" to compromise our capacity to reflect or decide either through its content or through its impact: using appeals to lust, vanity, envy and greed, and other human weakness.
Give special care to the weak and vulnerable: children, young people, the elderly, the poor, and the culturally disadvantaged
RESPECT SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES (promotes consumption, empties communication, objections)
Example: Concern for the ecology — advertising should not favor a lavish lifestyle which wastes resources and despoils the environment
Example: Advertising should not reduce human progress to acquiring material goods and cultivating a lavish lifestyle
The three principles which are particularly relevant to advertising are given in an explanatory form: 1. Truthfulness in Advertising
Even today, some advertising is simply and deliberately untrue. Generally speaking, though, the problem of truth in advertising is somewhat more subtle: it is not that advertising says what is overtly false, but that it can distort the truth by implying things that are not so or withholding relevant facts. It is said that, on both the individual and social levels, truth and freedom are inseparable; without truth as the basis, starting point and criterion of discernment, judgment, choice and action, there can be no authentic exercise of freedom. The advertisements should The Advertisers and the promoters should insist that the content of communication be "true and — within the limits set by justice and charity — complete"; the content should, moreover, be communicated "honestly and properly."To be sure, advertising,
like other forms of expression, has its own conventions and forms of stylization, and these must be taken into account when discussing truthfulness. People take for granted some rhetorical and symbolic exaggeration in advertising; within the limits of recognized and accepted practice, this can be allowable. But it is a fundamental principle that advertising may not deliberately seek to deceive, whether it does that by what it says, by what it implies, or by what it fails to say. "The proper exercise of the right to information demands that the content of what is communicated be true and, within the limits set by justice and charity, complete. ... Included here is the obligation to avoid any manipulation of truth for any reason." 2. The Dignity of the Human Person
There is an "imperative requirement" that advertising, "respect the human person, his right duty to make a responsible choice, his interior freedom; all these goods would be violated if man's lower inclinations were to be exploited, or his capacity to reflect and decide compromised."These abuses are not merely hypothetical possibilities but realities in much advertising today. Advertising can violate the dignity of the human person both through its content — what is advertised, the manner in which it is advertised — and through the impact it seeks to make upon its audience. Things such as appeals to lust, vanity, envy and greed, and of techniques that manipulate and exploit human weakness and in such circumstances, advertisements readily become "vehicles of a deformed outlook on life, on the family, on religion and on morality — an outlook that does not respect the true dignity and destiny of the human person."This problem is especially acute where particularly vulnerable groups or classes of persons are concerned: children and young people, the elderly, the poor, the culturally disadvantaged. Much advertising directed at children apparently tries to exploit their credulity and suggestibility, in the hope that they will put pressure on their parents to buy products of no real benefit to them. Advertising like this offends against the dignity and rights of both children and parents; it intrudes upon the parent-child relationship and seeks to manipulate it to its own base ends. Also, some of the comparatively little advertising directed specifically to the elderly or culturally disadvantaged seems designed to play upon their fears so as to persuade them to allocate some of their limited resources to goods or services of dubious value.
3. Advertising and Social Responsibility
Social responsibility is such a broad concept that we can note here only a few of the many issues and concerns relevant under this title on the question of advertising. The ecological issue is one. Advertising that fosters a lavish lifestyle which wastes resources and despoils the environment offends against important ecological concerns. In his desire to have and to enjoy rather than to be and grow, man consumes the resources of the earth and his own life in an excessive and disordered way. ... Man thinks that he can make arbitrary use of the earth, subjecting it without restraint to his will, as though it did not have its own requisites and a prior God-given purpose, which man can indeed develop but must not betray. As this suggests, something more fundamental is at issue here: authentic and integral human development. Advertising that reduces human progress to acquiring material goods and cultivating a lavish life style expresses a false, destructive vision of the human person harmful to individuals and society alike. When people fail to practice a rigorous respect for the moral, cultural and spiritual requirements, based on the dignity of the person and on the proper identity of each community, beginning with the family and religious societies, then even material abundance and the conveniences that technology makes available will prove unsatisfying and in the end contemptible. Advertisers, like people engaged in other forms of social communication, have a serious duty to express and foster an authentic vision of human development in its material, cultural and spiritual dimensions. Communication that meets this standard is, among other things, a true expression of solidarity. Indeed, the two things — communication and solidarity — are inseparable, because, as the solidarity is a consequence of genuine and right communication and the free circulation of ideas that further knowledge and respect for others. General
Principles of the moral order must be applied to the domain of media
Human freedom has a purpose: making an authentic moral response. All attempts to inform and persuade must respect the purposes of human freedom if they are to be moral.
Morally good advertising therefore is that advertising that seeks to move people to choose and act rationally in morally good ways; morally evil advertising seeks to move people to do evil deeds that are self-destructive and destructive of authentic community
Means and techniques of advertising must also be considered: manipulative, exploitative, corrupt and corrupting methods of persuasion and motivation
Advertising & Attention, But at What Cost? Belvedere Vodka has introduced a new provocative print and television campaign to compete against Grey Goose in the luxury vodka market. ―The brand is donning fishnets, getting spanked in public and otherwise behaving lewdly in an attempt to stand out in the increasingly crowded luxury vodka category.‖ Ethical advertising should include Taste and
Decency and counseled that the client and agency should proactively consider the ethical consequences of advertising that could be considered offensive by the brands customers. Apparently in this case client and agency agreed on the shocking portrayal of women to attack competitor Grey Goose‘s ―uptown‖ image. Paul Ashworth, Moet‘s senior
VP – Belvedere, said of the new $20 million campaign, ―We want to be sexy, and we want to be provocative.‖ Ewen Cameron, Berlin Cameron executive creative director, said the
campaign is meant to make consumers take sides: ―Brands need to say, ‗are you with us or with them? But did they consider the ethical consequences of a campaign that may offend woman vodka drinkers? Women constitute 49percent of the luxury vodka market. Clearly they were aware of the negative implications. From the same AdAge.com article:―According to Mr. Ashworth, several cable networks refused to run the original spot. Outtakes — including several shots using the bottle as an explicitly sexual prop — will be featured on a new Website set to launch in early December.‖Perhaps the Spirits category is different from other brand marketing.
Arthur Shapiro, a veteran spirits industry consultant, opines ―One way to stand out at a crowded party is to put a lampshade on your head. It doesn‘t necessarily make a good impression, but it does make one.‖This is an assumption that is often heard in the industry: ―It‘s good to get the customer‘s attention even if it makes them mad.‖But how can we
conclude that a potential customer angered by advertising will purchase the brand? I believe that women searching for an upscale vodka would be more attracted to a brand connecting to them through ethical advertising. This seems to have been proven by Dove‘s very successf ul Campaign for Real Beauty, which was still risky in its depiction of women but was also developed with them in mind. Advertising, like human beings, lives where Reason meets Desire. Years ago, The Coca-Cola Company invented a better product. No consumer product had ever been so thoroughly tested with so many consumers. This new Coke was probably much better. But consumers not only didn't buy it, they demonstrated against it. Because a lot
of what they loved about "real" Coke, was not inside the bottle. It was the idea of Coke and their experiences with it and how those experiences were connected to so much of what we imagine life should be like. Advertising isn't just about the things we buy. It's about how we feel about things, including ourselves. That's what makes it interesting. 1. Cause-related marketing
Speaking of feelings, 80% of Americans say they feel better about companies that are aligned with social issues. Two thirds of say they would be inclined to switch to a brand that we identify with a good cause. It's why American Express put on the Tribeca Film Festival in lower Manhattan to help bring people back to the area after September 11th. Wal-Mart focuses on community efforts of their associates and stores. General Mills' "Spoonfuls of Hope" campaign features Lance Armstrong promoting cancer research. Johnson & Johnson always at the top of polls as a socially responsible company -- has been running a campaign to help promote nursing as a career. Does the extra business and good will these companies stand to gain compromise the good that the causes do? What are the ethics of enlightened self-interest? Not long ago a major advertiser donated a quarter-million dollars in food aid to Bosnians in the wake of the war there. By all accounts, the aid did a lot of good. Later, the company spent over a million dollars to advertise their good deed to American audiences. What decision would you have made? 2. Tobacco Advertising
Ronald Reagan once appeared in ads touting the health benefits of a cigarette brand. Times have changed. Now the space in which tobacco can be promoted in any form is growing more restricted every day. And tobacco isn't the only legal - and potentially lethal- product that poses ethical, not to mention public policy questions for us. Ad agencies and individual advertising people make their own decisions about categories like tobacco and guns. Many say, "No, thanks" to working on certain businesses. But would you turn down the Kraft Macaroni and Cheese assignment because another division of the same corporation makes Marlboros? That's a tougher question.
3. Alcohol
There are hundreds of beer commercials on the air, but not one of them shows somebody actually drinking the beer. Does that make them more ethical? And although there's the same amount of the same chemical in a can of Bud and a shot of Jack Daniels, you don't see hard liquor advertised on television. In the case of alcohol, advertisers themselves have made these "ethical" choices. But do they make rational sense? The Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) probably don't make the same distinction between beer and bourbon that advertisers do. Incidentally, advertising people working for free because they believe in the cause create MADD's ads. Ad folk like to work pro bono for nonprofits and good causes. Public service campaigns, including anti-smoking messages, got over $1.5 billion dollars in free media last year. Altogether, they'd be the fifth largest advertiser. The ethical issue isn't the alcohol in the product, it's the brand name on the bottle (Smirnoff Ice). When I say the word "Smirnoff", what do you think of? - you're not alone. A rival company says this commercial is misleading you because there's no vodka in Smirnoff Ice. It's a malt beverage. Does the name "Smirnoff" mean "vodka" or is it just a name? Many of you are in the target audience. Are you being fooled here? And if you thought Smirnoff Ice contained vodka, did you also think it contained ice? You don't have to take time from your studies to decide this case. As we speak, it's being examined by the ATF (Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms). 4. Condoms
I assume these are not unfamiliar to you. Should they be advertised? Most networks won't accept condom ads because they might offend certain audiences. Even where condom ads are okay, there are ethical choices to make about what kind of product demonstration is appropriate. And in what context? One example of context is that people in condom ads usually wear wedding rings. Because even though the biggest market probably lies outside the Marital Bed, the truth about where all those condoms are really going raises some touchy issues. If you were the Creative Director on the Trojans account, is that an ethical issue? Do you show the real truth and take the consequences?
5. Children
Society imposes context on advertising ethics all the time -especially in advertising that involves children. Here's a commercial for children's shampoo. On behalf of Society, can you see what's wrong with this message? The problem isn't something in the spot - it's what's missing. There is no adult supervision shown around the swimming pool. The Children's Advertising Review Unit (CARU) of the Better Business Bureau (BBB), which also monitors kid's programming, requires that adults be shown supervising children when products or activities could be risky. So L'Oreal changed the commercial to model good parental behaviour. Score one for Society. Another commercial for Aim toothpaste showed a child who went to the bathroom in a museum to brush her teeth. Good hygiene or not, it had to be taken off the air when teachers complained that they'd never, ever, let a child leave the group unattended. Advertisers spend most of their waking hours trying to anticipate what their audiences will want and how they'll react. They try their best, but sometimes miss. 6. Pharmaceutical advertising
Information is ethically neutral. In an academic setting like this, we welcome more information because the marketplace of ideas enables individuals to form their own judgment - which brings us to advertising about prescription drugs. Not long ago, only a doctor could tell you about a new medicine. You probably never heard of it before you walked in; you didn't know if it was the only one in the world or one of dozens that did pretty much the same thing. Now advertisers spend millions of dollars telling you about their medicines. Advertising puts more information in people's hands. Studies show that drug ads raise awareness of some conditions so more people seek treatment. And they know more about their options before seeing the doctor. That's good, right? But of course the drug companies don't advertise their cheapest products. They promote the big moneymakers. There's more information out there, but it comes with a heavy dose of Point-of-View. Sometimes there are two points of view in the same commercial. The FDA requires that, if you promote the benefits of your medicine, you must also reveal any significant risks or side effects. So we have them to thank for the now legendary disclaimer
for a weight-loss drug. The medicine worked miracles, but the company was also obliged to mention its unpleasant side effects, with the result that the drug turned into a national joke! 7.
Product placement
What are the ethics of advertising that doesn't look like advertising? In a movie chase scene, the hero and the bad guy are going to need some kind of car to drive. In the theatre we have no way of knowing whether the director chose those cars because they fulfilled his artistic vision - or because the car manufacturer made a deal with the producer. The car people get exciting exposure for their brand and she saves a nice piece of change on her production budget. Audiences like realism in movies. Made-up brands break the spell because they're obvious fakes. But the difference between something that's just a prop and something that's a product promotion is getting murkier all the time, on TV shows as well as movies. This kind of "product placement" happens in real life, too. If you go out to a club tonight, you might see some particularly good-looking young people using a new kind of cell phone. It lets them shoot pictures of people to their friends across the room:"Here's a cute guy - want to come and meet him?" Fun stuff like that. If you're curious, maybe they've taken your picture and they'll be happy to show you the phone and let you try it. The phone is very cool. And the people are what advertisers call "aspirational" because they're way cooler than you are. They are people you want to be. They are also actors and this is a gig for them. Their job is creating the impression that using this phone is The Next Trend. If you ask them directly if they are actors, they won't lie. But if you don't ask, they won't tell. This is there verse of the Volvo story. Volvo's demonstration was rigged, no question, but what viewers saw on TV was the truth. With this cell phone, the demonstration is the absolute truth, but the scenein the club is pure theater. (Note: This new "guerrilla" marketing campaign for Sony Ericsson has received a great deal of negative publicity already for being deceptive in its approach.) 8. Subliminal Advertising
There is one more thing in discussion. If you believe subliminal advertising exists, you don't anymore because I embedded a convincing subliminal denial in this talk. In case you missed it, subliminal advertising is one of those "urban legends." Try this experiment. Take a
photograph of a glass of ice water or the beverage of your choice and make a fake ad out of it. Then invite people in your Psychology department to find the subliminal messages in your ad. They won't disappoint you. If a bunch of students can create subliminal messages, imagine what the pros at Madison can do.
Indian Society and Morality in Advertising Indian society is nowadays grappling with the issue of moral policing of advertisements. As the government seeks to maintain public morality and social progress through forced intervention and banning commercials perceived to be injurious to societal discipline, the nation continues to debate on the efficacy of such authoritarian diktat. For a fast growing economy like India with a huge consumer base, the advertising business actually provides the necessary stimulus for market growth by generating product demand. In fact this billion-dollar industry leaves a lasting impression on the nation‘s diverse culture and political system apart from manipulating economic activity. Having emerged from a tightly controlled socialistic model of market system, India is yet to adapt to this promotional tool offering diversity in choice and often linked to capitalism for its competitiveness. Perhaps this hangover remains the fountainhead of the controversial administrative decision to monitor advertising standards vigorously while simultaneously enforcing the modification of raunchy television commercials of reputed brands. Despite Advertising Standards Council of India‘s (ASCI) denial of government unilateralism,
many believe that the state is actually trying to position itself as a scrutinizer of business ethics in the garb of regulation. This school of thought has even trashed the concept of using social morality as a guide to evolve an appropriate regulatory standard in consonance with Indian principles. Instead, their prescription emphasizes on accepting consumption behavior as the defining factor in regulating market communiques. If an obscene commercial fails to abet consumer purchase, the manufacture will be forced to withdraw it. Since society is still struggling to create a moral statute for binding humanity, impeding the creativity of industry professionals on ethical grounds is completely irrational, opines the liberal school. However not everybody in India is ready to condone cheeky gestures through suggestive advertisements.
The orthodox view of cheap and sensational promotions being the catalyst for societal degeneration is gaining popular acceptance. Even ASCI is propagating the concept of selfregulation within the industry in consonance with their tag line ―regulate yourself or someone else will‖.
They are encouraging youths to voice their opinion on questionable campaigns through the organization‘s social networking account. ―The social networking platform is just one more tool used by ASCI to spread awareness of self regulation and ethics in advertising‖, Secretary General Alan Collaco pointed out to this
journalist. That the effort is bearing fruit can be gauged from the 722 complaints received against 187 advertisements by mid 2011 as compared to the 200 registered cases during the same period last year. ASCI's consumer complaints council has upheld grievances against 34 errant advertisers between November 2010 and February 2011. With a more than 80 percent success rate one of the highest worldwide, the regulatory body is determined to put in a semblance of discipline by drawing the line of decency somewhere. The challenge would be to look for an alternative that reinforces the codes of conduct without stifling creativity. It is indeed difficult to single out promotional storylines from overall mass media programs for blasphemous content especially when the modern day audience seems to indulge titillation passively. Reputed Indian ad film makers believe that it would be unfair to single out commercials when other media can show obscenity. However, some of them are indeed pushing the stake a bit too much, taking refuge in the alibi of an advertisements being nothing more than a mirror image of the degrading attitude and values of our surrounding environment.
Condoning such gross misconduct might at the end of the day encourage a lampooning culture that violates civility. There is also an ethical aspect attached to this communication field. Advertising should at the least attempt to shape the reality it reflects instead of glorifying the exceptions for commercial gain.
We must not gloss over the fact that this platform does have the capability to influence a market-driven economy in adopting socially responsive norms that ultimately benefit human development. Surely, the pervasive character of this medium can also be exploited in shaping the attitude of today‘s conflict-ridden society positively.
After all the conscience of an advertising professional remains the indispensable guarantor of upholding moral order. Since advertising has always sought to transgress all barriers in its bid to sell a brand, it remains to be seen whether the government ends up enforcing the limits of acceptability on creative artists whatever the commercial consequences might be.
Case Studies Case study on P & G - Pantene PANTENE - The Evolving Approach to a Global Brand
In 1990, Procter & Gamble (P&G) made the decision to launch their small premium Pantene Shampoo brand around the world. P&G's decision was not based on pure whimsy; it was based on strategic market research conducted globally for this premium-priced two-in-one shampoo/conditioner. Research results, compiled from markets around the world, led P&G to hypothesize that health positioning might provide the basis for a new worldwide hair care franchise. Why? The research indicated that: o
Women believed the ideal standard for hair is "healthy".
o
Women considered their own hair damaged.
o
Women believed that shine signaled health.
o
Pro-vitamin formulation provided real support for claims.
Advertising was developed around the health positioning and was launched globally. The advertising was customized at the local level with the tag line, "Hair So Healthy It Shines." The challenges to advertise Pantene in local markets (country to country) were numerous. First of all, after identifying that "Hair So Healthy It Shines" would be the central strategic product benefit that would be meaningful around the world, P&G had to determine how best to express this benefit in local markets. Next, the product's benefit and reason-why (to purchase) had to be communicated and visualized in arresting ways. There were four lead countries in the 1990 launch. Each communicated a different piece of the strategy and execution elements, as follows:
o
United States: a TV campaign was developed using an authoritative spokeswoman and showing the transformation of the model's hair.
o
Taiwan: dramatized the end-result - - the shine (a very powerful end benefit in this part of the world).
o
France: dramatized the vitamin capsule ingredient story.
o
United Kingdom: demonstrated product efficacy via the hair root demonstration.
While local differences were necessary (talent, ethnic standards of beauty, hair type, legal claims), the global format held true virtually everywhere. The second commercial is a montage with quick-cuts of executions from European and Asian countries. Results
By 1994, less than four years following its launch in 55 countries, Pantene was the #1 hair care brand around the world. Two years later it was still leading in 78 countries and by 1998, it was the leading shampoo in 90 countries with worldwide sales of well over $1 billion, thanks to a carefully researched creative strategy and the persuasive power of advertising. By the end of the '90s, Pantene needed to be reinvigorated to keep its lead in an increasingly competitive environment in stores around the world. As a result, P&G re-launched the Pantene brand around the world, focusing on a global strategy, with local executions due to marketplace conditions and competitive activity from country to country. Pantene experienced nearly 10% growth globally that year via a new end-benefit product line-up touting: "Achieve the look you want with new customized collections" (Smooth, Volume, Curls, Colour), with local advertising executions meeting local needs depending on the country.
In 2003, P&G launched a line of Pantene products designed specifically for African American women. While Pantene had experienced sustained success worldwide, P&G faced many obstacles in introducing its Pantene Relaxed and Natural brand. Issues of credibility, brand loyalty, and distribution presented serious marketing challenges in reaching the target consumer group. P&G found that African American women preferred to buy products made by African American owned companies and by companies that gave back to the African American community. They generally distrust general market products and tend to purchase haircare products in beauty supply shops (56%) rather than food and drug stores where Pantene is sold. Additionally, Pantene Relaxed and Natural would not be found in the ethnic haircare aisle. The ad campaign for Relaxed and Natural was highly targeted and ran on cable and network TV (80%) as well as in print media (20%). Despite the formidable challenges stated above, P&G saw substantial results. After one year on the market, the number of first trials increased five times and the number of repeat purchases increased by 320%. Revenue from sales was almost double P&G's initial objectives, and after seven months on the market, Pantene's Relaxed and Natural product became the #1 brand in the African American haircare market. The strategic marketing efforts of P&G proved to be a highly successful and profitable endeavour.
The Pantene brand -- in total -- represents the most successful global launch in beauty care history. Today, Pantene remains the number one hair care brand around the world and the third most profitable brand for P&G.
Case Study on HUL – Axe Deodarant Background
Unilever was faced with a huge marketing and advertising challenge when the company decided to introduce their deodorant bodyspray, AXE, into the U.S. market in August 2002. AXE had held the coveted position of #1 grooming brand overseas. A men's deodorant bodyspray, AXE was different in form/application and use from U.S. men's deodorants. The Antiperspirant/Deodorant market in the United States is stick-based, whereas antiperspirant/deodorants sold overseas are generally aerosol. In addition, U.S. consumers are not emotionally involved with their antiperspirant/deodorants. Overseas, AXE emphasizes humor and the emotional and social benefits of smelling good that allow the brand's advertising to be among the most admired. To introduce AXE to American men, Unilever had three major challenges to overcome: 1) convince American men to try AXE; 2) educate American consumers about how to use it; and 3) create an effective way to introduce the product and break through the clutter. Plan to overcome challenges about product use among U.S. males: o
Communicate
the
social
and
emotional
benefits
of
using
a
fragrance:
- Smell good and get the girl!
o
Excite consumers about an historically unexciting antiperspirant/deodorant category.
o
Adapt consumer behaviour to deodorant bodysprays (aerosol product).
o
Educate new consumer usage of body sprays - - all over the body.
In-depth, pre-launch research in the U.S. among the target (men 18-24) showed that product education was key to increasing purchase motivation. The strategy was excite and educate!
Unilever's AXE marketing team wanted consumers to be excited about something new; to see, hear, and interact with AXE everywhere. An all-inclusive national launch was planned. Two sets of ads were created: the first ad used a mannequin, which educated consumers about product usage. The second ad used humor by showing the emotional and social benefit of smelling good - - and impressing girls. With the target in mind, AXE used non-traditional channels to build excitement for consumers. Consumers saw AXE everywhere - - in movie theatres, bars, on Web sites, instore TVs, radio and on television. A huge sampling program accompanied the launch in movie theatres and on college campuses. In-store activities increased interaction with consumers. AXE Angels (models in AXE t-shirts) traveled by bus (the "casting coach") in search of "The Next AXE Guy". The AXE craze was ignited with thousands of young men on college campuses, in stores and on the streets. They wanted to be part of "the AXE effect" and get the girl. Results
o
The launch was a success. AXE rocketed into the U.S. market, starting strong and never looking back. By Dec 2004, Axe had reached an 8.4% dollar share ($154MM million; 2004 YTD, through October) of the antiperspirant/deodorant market. AXE leads the newly created deodorant bodyspray category with an 85+% dollar share. In Q3 2004, Axe was the #1 male anti-perspirant/deodorant with a 10+% dollar share.
o
Research conducted since launch indicates that AXE's brand awareness and trial have continued to grow substantially. Its TV ad awareness scores were well above the average for new product launches.
o
Since launch, the AXE Web site was visited by over 7 million consumers and enjoyed increased consumer referrals.
o
Online involvement, intensive viral ads plus chat room activity had consumers talking about AXE - - their favorite fragrances, the AXE effect, their experiences in the mating game. For instance, dozens of bloggers were intrigued by the Pitman antiperpsirant deodorant print campaign, chose to write about it, and referred over 100,000 consumers to the Axe website to play the game and try to get a keychain.
o
The AXE Mannequin became a product icon. Articles in Star magazine and the New York Post, for instance, showed "Quinn" hanging with celebrities, such as Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey at Outkast's post-Grammy party. Quinn was also the celebrity photographer on Playboy.com.
o
AXE communication has won many awards, including a gold Effie award, Brandweek's Guerrilla Marketer of the Year, a Cannes Cyber Silver Lion and two print silver ones, and numerous promotional and PR recognition.
o
Since its launch in August 2002, AXE has been joined by five similar new products in the men's deodorant category.
Case Study on Tobacco
Advertising and Morality: Challenges of Tobacco Advertising Images of sleek, young bodies; stylishly furnished apartments, flashy cars, all in anexquisite ambiance illuminate the page on which the words "be gold" loom large. But appearing in a small box in the right-hand corner of the page is the warning: "The Federal Ministry of Health warns that smokers are liable to die young ―Every year 350,000 people die from tobacco-related illnesses. Smoking is directly responsible for 85% of all deaths from lung cancer. Smoking is chief among avoidable causes of death in our society. Not only are cigarettes one of the most lethal products around, but also one of the most addictive. According to a recent report from the UN Food & Agriculture Organization(FAO), the nicotine contained in cigarettes is as addictive as heroin and cocaine. Yet, this lethal product which contains a very powerful addictive drug can be legally bought and sold. And, along with soap and margarine, it is promoted through advertisements in the popular media. The Advertising Practitioners‘ Council of Nigeria (APCON) banned its members from advertising tobacco products in the Nigerian media with effect from December 31 2004. In Britain the Tobacco Advertising and Promotions Act (2003) outlawed tobacco advertisements in newspapers, magazines, and on billboards. In several other countries cigarette ads have been banned from the TV screen and radio waves, but recent figures show that the tobacco industry continues to spend over $2 billion every year promoting cigarettes through other means, such as magazines, newspapers and billboards. Here in Nigeria, there is currently a bill at the National Assembly which seeks to forbid all cigarette advertising in magazines and newspapers. The tobacco industry and its advertisers have attacked the proposal as violating fundamental moral rights. Does society have aright to ban the advertising of cigarettes? Advertising techniques range in complexity from the publishing of simple, straightforward notices in the classified advertisement columns of newspapers to the concerted use of newspapers, magazines, television, radio, direct mail, and other communications media in the course of a single advertising campaign. From its unsophisticated beginnings in ancient times, advertising has burgeoned into a worldwide industry. In the United States alone in the late 1980s, approximately $120 billion was spent in a single year on advertising to influence the purchase of commodities and services, Total expenditure in Britain in 1995 was nearly £10 billion, (History of Advertising Trust, 2006).
In Nigeria the advertising industry is a multi-billion naira one. Multi-nationals like Cadbury, Procter & Gamble, Nestle, Coca Cola, MTN, commit billions of naira annually to advertisement (Kadima, 2006). The commercial advertising industry comprises the media, advertisers (sponsors) and advertising agencies. The agencies plan, create and place commercial messages in the media. They buy broadcast air time and newspaper space to advertise tobacco and other products. The advertising industry provides thousands of jobs and helps the economy run. The influence of advertising is tremendous, dictating tastes and consumption patterns. Advertising contributes enormously in driving tobacco sales but at the same time it gets many addicted to the often deadly habit of smoking. What is smoking and why is it a dangerous habit?
Smoking is the act of inhaling the fumes from a burning substance, usually tobacco. The adverse effects of tobacco smoking totally outnumber those of other atmospheric pollutants. In the European Union, diseases attributable to smoking accounts for approximately 15 per cent of all deaths. Tobacco smoking has consistently been referred to ―as the single most important preventable cause of premature death ―Smoking can be divided into two categories: active (actively smoking oneself) andpassive (inhaling smoke because of proximity to a smoker). Cigarette smoking is the prime, but not the only, culprit; pipe and cigar smoking, while less hazardous than cigarette smoking, are not without risk. Smokeless tobacco (chewing tobacco, tobacco pouches, and snuff dipping) has now emerged as a major cause of oral disease and death from oral cancer. The average 20-a-day smoker is estimated to inhale tobacco smoke about 70,000 times a year. It is therefore not surprising that, with such abuse, a number of diseases, many of them fatal, are associated with smoking. Theseinclude cancer (particularly of the lungs, larynx, oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus, pancreas, cervix, kidney, and bladder); coronary artery disease; cerebrovascular disease (strokes, intracerebral hemorrhages); and COAD (chronic obstructive airways disease, comprising chronic bronchitis and emphysema). According to the Australian Drug Foundation, the effects of smoking will vary from person to person and depend on such things as:
a person's susceptibility to chemicals in tobacco smoke;
the number of cigarettes smoked per day;
the age when the person began smoking; and
the number of years of smoking.
Immediate effects
Smoking one cigarette immediately raises a person's blood pressure and heart
rate and decreases the blood flow to body extremities such as the fingers and toes.
Brain and the nervous system activity is stimulated for a short time and then reduced.
A smoker may also experience dizziness, nausea, watery eyes and acid in the stomach.
Appetite, taste and smell are weakened.
Other effects of cigarette smoking
Smokers typically experience shortness of breath, persistent coughs, reduced fitness, yellow stains on fingers and teeth and decreased sense of taste and smell.
Smokers have more colds and flu than non-smokers and find it harder to recover from minor illnesses.
Smoking can cause impotence in men, while women who smoke are less fertile than non-smokers.
People who smoke tend to have facial wrinkles appearing much earlier and, in general, look older than non-smokers of the same age.
Smokers have an increased risk of developing:
respiratory infections such as pneumonia and chronic bronchitis;
emphysema (a progressive and potentially fatal lung disease);
heart attack and coronary disease;
cancer of the lung, throat, mouth, bladder, kidney, pancreas, cervix, stomach;
stomach ulcer
Tobacco Advertising; To Be or Not to Be? We have gone at length to examine smoking because an understanding of the nature of smoking will lead to a clearer perspective on the issue of morality in tobacco advertisement. We will now consider the arguments in the question of morality in tobacco advertisement. What in the first instance is morality? Morality has its root from moral. Oxford Advanced Learner‘s Dictionary of English def ines moral as a concept that is concerned with the
principles of right and wrong behaviour which are based on an individual‘s judgement of what is right or wrong, good or bad, not on legal rights or duties. Morality is then an off shoot of moral which expresses the degree to which something is right or wrong, good or bad. The concept we are discussing morality here then is essentially the degree to which advertising is considered ―right‖ or ―wrong‖, ―good‖ or ―bad‖. Not from the legal point of view but from
the standpoint of good or bad effects it has on humanity. Anti-smoking activists argue that everyone has a basic right to freedom of expression, but only insofar as no harm comes to others as a result. When freedom of expression results in harm to others, society is morally obligated to restrict this freedom, cigarette advertising, one form of free speech, causes grave harm. It is a truism that as cigarette ads increase, so too does smoking. And, smoking now accounts for at least 350,000 tobacco-related deaths each year, (Andre & Velasquez 2006:1). The costs of smoking to society as a whole are also staggering. According to a recent US government report, cigarette smoking is responsible for an estimated $23 billion in health care costs annually and over $30 billion in lost productivity, (Gately, 2002:2). Society is morally obligated to ban the promotion of a product linked to so much suffering and devastation and that places such a drain on society's resources. Those opposed to the promotion of cigarettes also argue that society has a duty to protect the right of individuals not to be deceived or manipulated. No advertising is more deceptive than that used to sell cigarettes. Images of independence are used to sell a product that creates profound dependence. Images of health and vitality are used to sell a product that causes disease and suffering. Images of life are used to sell a product that causes death. What irony! Critics argue that cigarette advertisements also rely almost exclusively on psychological manipulation. Alluring images of
power, prestige, glamour, success,vitality and sex appeal are held before the public's eye, creating a positiveassociation between "the good life" and smoking. Such ads bypass
conscious reasoning. They unconsciously arouse in a person a powerful desire that is not rationally weighed against one's own best interests. Society's obligation to ban such deceptive and manipulative practices becomes all the more compelling when such practices are used to prey on minors. And young people are, in fact, the target of the tobacco industry's advertising campaigns. To maintain sales, the tobacco industry must recruit more young people every year to replace those who die and those who quit smoking. So it's to the young that the industry directs its pitch, appealing to their lifestyles and aspirations. Close-ups of muscular men and slender, sexy women promise the shy teenager popularity and sex appeal. Shots of cowboys, mountain climbers, and aerobic dancers promise adventure or athletic prowess. Society has a moral duty to ban such brainwashing of unwilling, unsuspecting consumers into taking up a habit that will eventually kill them, or so critics claim. Opposing restrictions on cigarette ads are those who agree that society has a right to restrict freedom of expression when the exercise of this freedom causes harm to others. But, they argue, while cigarettes themselves may be harmful, cigarette advertising is not. First, contrary to the critics' claims, ads for cigarettes do not cause people to smoke, just as ads for soap don't cause people to bathe. People take up smoking for a variety of reasons. For teenagers, it's often peer pressure or imitating adults that factor in as the principal reason. At most, cigarette ads function to persuade people who already smoke to switch brands.
Second, the charge that cigarette ads intentionally deceive consumers is unjustified. The images portrayed in cigarette ads are realistic ones. There are, in fact, soccer stars tennis players and aerobic dancers who smoke. Furthermore, how can cigarette ads be accused of hiding the truth with the Federal Ministry of Health‘s warning prominently stamped across each and every ad? Nor can cigarette ads be banned on the grounds that they manipulate consumers. The tobacco industry's advertising ploys are no different from any other industry's techniques to promote its products. Consumers are well acquainted with the rules of the game in advertising. People should be expected to take care of themselves whether they are reading an ad for cigarettes or passing by an enticing display in a department store. Those opposed to banning cigarette ads also point out that respect for individual freedom demands that consumer preferences and choices be respected. Society has no right to impose its preferences on its members by limiting their exposure to products that are legally bought and sold. While society may act as a critic of consumer choice, it has no right, and certainly no duty, to limit that choice, and banning cigarettes ads would do just that.
Tobacco supporters also claim that banning cigarette ads would deliver few benefits, while producing great harm. There is no evidence that banning cigarette ads would stop people from smoking. In five countries where cigarette ads have been banned, per capita consumption of cigarettes has risen, not decreased, Breen (1995:22). Finally, they claim that, while tobacco advertising bans would fail to deliver the benefits its supporters hope for; the reduction of smoking, they would, without a doubt, produce great harm. First, banning cigarettes ads would deprive consumers of valuable information. Such ads relay important information on the tar and nicotine content of cigarettes which some smokers use in their decisions to switch brands. Second, any further encroachment on the freedom to advertise cigarettes would place all freedom of expression and freedom of individual choice in serious jeopardy. If society declares a ban on ads for cigarettes, which may be harmful, but which are legal to purchase and use, what will prevent it from banning the promotion of countless other products known to be harmful in some way? Will ads for butter and fast foods be banned because they contain large amounts of cholesterol? Such practices cannot be tolerated in a country like Nigeria that prides itself on freedom. We have attempted juxtaposition, though not exhaustive, of the different shades of opinions about morality and advertisement. Advertising is a complex concept and like most media of social communications has two options. Either they help human persons to grow in their understanding and practice of what is true and good, or they are destructive forces in conflict with human well beings. Against this background, then, we point to this fundamental principle for people engaged in advertising: advertisers — that is, those who commission, prepare or disseminate advertising — are morally responsible for what they seek to move people to do; and this is a
responsibility also shared by publishers, broadcasting executives, and others in the communications world, as well as by those who give commercial or political endorsements, to the extent that they are involved in the advertising process. If an instance of advertising seeks to move people to choose and act rationally in morally good ways that are of true benefit to themselves and others, persons involved in it do what is morally good; if it seeks to move people to do evil deeds that are self-destructive and destructive of authentic community, they do evil. This applies also to the means and the techniques of advertising: it is morally wrong to use manipulative, exploitative, corrupt and corrupting methods of persuasion and motivation. In this regard, we note special problems associated with so-called indirect advertising that attempts to move people to act in certain ways — forexample, purchase particular products — without their being fully aware that they are being swayed. The techniques involved here include showing certain products or forms of behaviour in
superficially glamorous settings associated with superficially glamorous people; in extreme cases, it may even involve the use of subliminal messages.
Results
We have looked at the background to the question of morality in advertising; this has meant a cursory overview of advertising, smoking, and tobacco advertising. This paper has opened our eyes to the quandary that is tobacco advertisement and we will say that deciding whether society should pass a sentence on selling smoke willrequire us to choose between an obligation to do all we can to prevent harm and suffering, and the value we place on freedom of expression and freedom of choice, and this is not an easy choice to make. We believe advertising can, and often does, play a constructive role in economic growth, in the exchange of information and ideas, and in the fostering of solidarity among individuals and groups. Yet it also can do, and often does, grave harm to individuals and to the common good. In light of these, therefore, we call upon advertising professionals and upon all those involved in the process of commissioning and disseminating advertising to eliminate its socially harmful aspects and observe high ethical standards in regard to truthfulness, human dignity and social responsibility. In this way, they will make a special and significant contribution to human progress and to the common good.
Conclusion & Recommendations Whichever creative approach an advertiser chooses to use, a bond must be formed with its consumers. The advertising that creates this bond must change or maintain an attitude, build a brand's image and persuade consumers to buy. Of course, it is the marketer's responsibility to provide consumers with products of the highest quality so that a continued relationship is maintained. These case studies demonstrate how effectively advertising persuades consumers, either by making a case for changing their attitude about a social condition/cause, or by giving consumers a reason to take action and purchase a product or service. The question raise is whether it is possible to be an ethical and moral advertiser — in the true sense of 'morality', and not merely in the minimalist, legal sense of respecting the rules that govern play in the business arena, such as honesty and fairness. The reflection on what ethics demands makes the hurdles impossibly high. The stark truth is that manufacturers and advertisers are as much controlled by the fickle consumer as in control. Rules can be set down concerning what is factually truthful, decent and fair. It is not the advertiser's job to make people better than they are, or want better things than they want. That is the work for politicians and preachers, or, possibly, philosophers. A defence of advertising against unjustified demands is bound to be less spectacular than an attack. However, don't forget the point of all this. It is to defend ethics against pressures that would weaken or dilute its requirements in order to fit in with a so-called 'business ethic'. Ultimately, we are all members of the moral world, whatever games we choose to play, whatever other worlds we may inhabit. No-one escapes ethics and morality. Many women and men professionally engaged in advertising do have sensitive consciences, high ethical standards and a strong sense of responsibility. But even for them external pressures — from the clients who commission their work as well as from the competitive internal dynamics of their profession — can create powerful inducements to unethical behavior. That underlines the need for external structures and systems to support and encourage responsible practice in advertising and to discourage the irresponsible. Voluntary ethical codes are one such source of support. These already exist in a number of places. Welcome as they are, though, they are only as effective as the willingness of advertisers to comply strictly with them.
