Agnostic.com

55 11

Is advertising immoral?

Advertising thrives on manipulation tactics. Influencing the subconscious. Subliminal messaging is no longer allowed, but there are plenty of other tactics being used.

Like those little fake droplets of condensation on soda ads or the sound of the can popping open and the fizz noise from the carbonation.

Fear tactics, repetition, color psychology, consumer data collection, packaging items to appear "fresh" when they've been sitting on the shelves for months...

Or playing on subconscious desires.

Axe body spray decided to find out who their target audience was. It was the novice teen-young adult, inexperienced in love. So, they showed them a guy who was doused in their products-- suddenly becoming a magnet for beautiful women.

The advertisements were so successful, they ended up with a branding problem. Teenage boys who were considered "geeks" or "nerds" were using it heavily. Worse yet, some schools even banned it-- because they were dousing themselves in the stuff and it was potent.

Marketers study patterns, people, and what impacts them. So, is it immoral to use these advertising and manipulation tactics to sell products or is it just good business?

What do you think of it all?

silvereyes 8 Mar 13
Share

Enjoy being online again!

Welcome to the community of good people who base their values on evidence and appreciate civil discourse - the social network you will enjoy.

Create your free account

55 comments (51 - 55)

Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.

1

I haven't watched tv commercials in years.(DVR) And if I do want to watch a tv show live.A hour show has 20 mins of commercials,a half hour show 10 mins. worth,so I just pause that amount of time and fast foward through commercials...

1

I do not mind that they advertise but when they show the same add tern times in a row every day i wow to never use it.

1

@silvereyes -- I think we need to look at this a little differently. There are times when advertising is a con. This happens when a new market is being created where there was none. There are times when advertising can be thought of as immoral or unethical depending upon how they approach the sale -- sometimes it's the amount of skin or something that appears exploitive. Neither of these issues are common, but they do crop up occasionally.

Everyday advertising can be likened to someone arguing their point and trying to win. Now, if arguing or trying to get across a point can be considered immoral, then so too can advertising. Arguing your point is merely you trying to get someone to buy what it is you think. Advertising is merely trying to get people to buy a product.

So, no, I don't think advertising is immoral, though some of it can be, just as some people's arguments can wander into areas of immoral/unethical delivery. That I don't like pop-ups, incessent hawking of goods on TV or radio or billboards, etc. does not make it immoral or unethical.

1

Its deffinatly misleading, and full of shit. they don't lie but are very clever with words ie I remember a cat food add."100% meat in jelly". that could be a tiny pease of meat in a ton of jelly and still be a true statement.

0

Some of the most creative people on the planet are in advertising. I especially like the Super Bowl ads each year. I regard it as just another form of entertainment. Am I being manipulated? Probably. But I'm not conscious of actively buying a good or a service purely based on the advertisement. Of course, everyone thinks that... So, to answer your question, I do not find advertising immoral.

Write Comment
You can include a link to this post in your posts and comments by including the text q:36712
Agnostic does not evaluate or guarantee the accuracy of any content. Read full disclaimer.