UNIT 9
Ethics in Advertising
Ethics in Advertising
• What is the difference between Ethical
and legal?
• Can u think of some examples of the
following scenario:
▫ Ethical and legal
▫ Ethical but illegal
▫ Unethical and illegal
▫ Unethical but legal
Some Economic Questions:
• Can ads make people buy
things they don’t want or need?
• Can ads make people more
materialistic?
• Are the benefits of advertising
worth the annoyance?
5 Controversial Issues:
1) Puffery "Nothing beats Me”
2) Decency Sexual overtone,
violence
3) Stereotyping Portrayals of
housewives, seniors,
racial groups
4) Children Violence, dangerous
acts, unhealthy
habits
5) Controversy Condoms, alcohol,
• Purpose for advertising regulation
▫ To protect competition
▫ To protect consumers from economic or
physical harm
• Regulations are concerned with
▫ Deceptive or unfair content
▫ How advertising is delivered
▫ Protection of susceptible groups (kids,
etc.)
Ethics in advertising
• Should not mislead the consumer
• What it promises should be there in the
performance of the product
• Ad should not be indecent and obscene
• ASCI (Advertising Standards Council of
India) sets the guidelines.
• ASCI Guidelines
Advertising Ethics
• Six key issues
•A set of moral
principles that Poor taste and
offensive
guide actions advertising
and create a Stereotyping
Body and self image
sense of Targeting children
Misleading claims and
responsible other messages
behavior Controversial products
Advertising Ethics
Poor Taste/Offensive
• Advertisers and media
outlets must try to be
sensitive to consumer
objections
• Creating guidelines for
good taste is difficult
• Sex in advertising
Ads in Poor Taste & Offensive
• Amul Macho
• AXE Chocolate Man
• Fasttrack Wrist Watches
• Zatak Deo
• Wild Stone Deo
Advertising Ethics
• Misleading
Claims
Advertising claims
are unethical if
they are false,
misleading, or
deceptive
Misleading Advertisements
• Dove Shampoo
• Ford Figo
• Priya Gold
• Saloni Anti-Pimple Cream
• Heineken Beer
Advertising and Stereotyping
Portrayal
Portrayal of
of women
women toto reflect
reflect
their changing role in society
their changing role in society
Criticisms Portrayal
Portrayal of
of
Gender
Gender Criticisms of
of women
stereotyping Advertising women asas
stereotyping Advertising sex objects
sex objects
With
With Regard
Regard to
to
Stereotyping
Stereotyping
Religious
Religious and
and Ethnic
Ethnic
Cultural
Cultural stereotyping/
stereotyping/
Stereotyping
Stereotyping representation
representation
Offensive Ads related to Stereotyping
• 8 PM Scotch Whisky
• Mercedes Benz
• Eurovision CDs
• Oreo Biscuits
• Greenlam Laminates
• Whalesafe Beer
• KFC
• ????
What is your opinion of this ad?
Is
Is this
this woman
woman portrayed
portrayed
as
as aa sex
sex object?
object?
Does
Does this
this ad
ad contain
contain
cues
cues that
that are
are sexually
sexually
suggestive?
suggestive?
Does
Does this
this ad
ad present
present an
an
image
image of
of sexual
sexual
submissiveness?
submissiveness?
Advertising Ethics
Use of Children
• One of the most
controversial topics in
the industry
• Children are unable to
evaluate advertising
messages and make
purchasing decisions
Misleading Ads related to Children
• SURF EXCEL
• THUMS UP
Advertising Ethics
Controversial
Products
• Though it is
acceptable to
advertise these
products, it is still
offensive to some
Controversial Product Advertisements
• Manforce Condoms
• I-pill
Social and Cultural Consequences
Does
Does advertising
advertising
encourage
encourage materialism?
materialism?
Does
Does advertising
advertising make
make
people
people buy
buy things
things
they
they don’t
don’t need?
need?
Is
Is advertising
advertising just
just
aa reflection
reflection of
of society?
society?
Ethical issues in advertising
• Ambush advertising
• Surrogate advertising
• Comparative advertisements
• Subliminal Advertising
Ambush Marketing
• Ambush marketing can be defined as a
marketing strategy wherein the advertisers
associate themselves with, and therefore capitalize
on, a particular event without paying any
sponsorship fee.
• In short, ambush marketing refers to a company's
attempt to capitalize on the goodwill, reputation,
and popularity of a particular event by creating an
association with it, without the authorization or
consent of the necessary parties
• Example 1
Surrogate Advertising
• Surrogate advertising is advertising which embeds
a brand or product message inside an
advertisement which is ostensibly for another
brand or product.
• Techniques of Surrogate Advertising:
• Advertising another product of the same brand
name
• Sponsoring community events and sports teams
• Issue public service announcements
• Example 1
• Example 2
Subliminal Advertising
• Subliminal advertising is the subtle art of
invading the mind of the consumer
without him even realizing that he is
falling prey to the message.
• Example 1
Comparative Advertisements
• Advertisements may be offensive with respect
to comparison with other competitors:
▫ In words
▫ In visual
▫ In commitments
▫ COKE vs. PEPSI
▫ PEPSI vs. COKE
▫ RIN vs. TIDE
▫ HORLICKS vs. COMPLAN
THANK YOU ALL !!!
For being good
students….
The End
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