Ethics_in_Advertising

Tom Sanderson Advertising and Promotion Ethics in Advertising For this exercise I searched for controversial advertisements on Google Images. I then e-mailed the ads to three people of varying ages and backgrounds. I asked them for their opinion regarding ethics: “I am studying ethical issues involved in advertising today; please tell me if you see any problems with the following ads.” “Please include specific examples if necessary to illustrate your answer, or provide justification for how some controversial content may be necessary in advertising.” {draw:frame} {draw:frame} {draw:frame} Brian Copeland, CEO, Copeland Furniture “I believe all three ads are, or could raise a stir among some sections of society. The Alcohol ad says, “Librarian by Day, Bacardi by Night.” It also shows a lot of skin. It is obviously aimed at young people who drink; this may be acceptable but uses sex to sell the product.” “The Breast cancer ad is kind of gruesome, but I think it definitely is unforgettable and reachespeople on an emotional level. Finally, the billboard ad for breast cancer is in no way acceptable to me. I’d say this one is classless.” Chris Bauer, mid twenties “The Alcohol ad is just standard for advertising today;I don’t see a problem with it. The Breast cancer ad tries to spread awareness, and I think it’s effective. The Billboard is outrageous and I doubt it was up very long!” Stu Copeland, father of Brian Copeland “The alcohol ad objectifies women, and appeals to young men. It may be too sexy for some but I think society is largely desensitized to this ad. The breast cancer ad seems controversial, but I know women who have died from this disease and I don’t think they would mind this image as long as it’s used in a productive manner. The last picture has no place in public display; it not only is offensive to me but extremely disrespectful and ignorant. My personal Opinions The Bacardi ad uses a very common theme in alcohol advertising, sex, which may inherently have ethical issues involved. I think most if not nearly all alcohol ads today feature some sexual tones, so this ad is generally accepted in American culture. The second spoof on Victoria’s Secret is definitely memorable, and I don’t think the ethics would be questioned by many. The final breast cancer ad is definitely unethical and not in good taste. I did not tell the subjects in my interview that later the company apologized and explained that they wanted maximum exposure and the ad was simply to get attention. The ad definitely attracted attention, while at the same time generating negative attitudes toward the responsible party in the community.