“Ethics in Advertisement”

• Introduction:

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.
The field of advertising is extremely broad and diverse. In
general terms, of course, an advertisement is simply a public
notice meant to convey information and invite patronage or
some other response. As that suggests, advertising has two basic
purposes: to inform and to persuade, and — while these
purposes are distinguishable — both very often are
simultaneously present.

• Importance of following Ethics in

Advertisement:

"If the media are to be correctly employed, it is essential that

all who use them know the principles of the moral order and
 apply them faithfully in this domain."

In this context, 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.

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.

It is therefore crucial to follow the implementation of moral

principles and ethics in advertisement. The importance of
following the set principles and morals in advertisements is
further elaborated by the pressure and taste of the public and
general consumer audience. The people would not accept or
watch commercials and advertisements that violate in any way
the cannons of law or tasteful viewing. The viewership would
fall, thus gaining bad publicity which is exactly any campaign
strives against. Every product producer wants to make the
customer like their products not criticize them! Furthermore
stamping the ethics in advertising could also lead to serious law
breaking issues and cost the company a run for its money.

• Examples of ethically incorrect adverts:

Content wise:

Approximately 2 years ago, Ufone Pakistan produced an

advertisement, promoting their latest offer “Public Demand”.

Argument
This commercial depicted 3 actresses, namely Meera, Veena and
Gia Ali dressed all trampy and grooving to the beat of an old
Pakistani hit by Nazia Hassan. The dance sequences and acting
was purely vulgar and indecent for a family audience and
violated the Pakistani ethics in advertisement violating the
religious, cultural and socially accepted norms.

Context wise:

Other Cellular company adverts including Telenor, Zong, Djuice

etc which claim late night or full night packages.
Argument
These ads and commercials use claims such as non-stop fun with
talking and SMS, encouraging the youth especially to stay up
late and talk to anyone they please, which is usually their friends
or love affairs. They picture young people partying late at night
or asking their parents to let them talk till late all of which
activities are morally and socially accepted as spoilt and
incorrect.
Reference/Bibliography:
Webpage: URL
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_coun
cils/pccs/documents/rc_pc_pccs_doc_22021997_eth
ics-in-ad_en.html

URL http://www.slideshare.net/KarlKasca/the-importance-of-
ethics-in-social-media-in-marketingadvertising-03-10-09