Akshay.S.

T
Assignment
 SOCIAL, ETHICAL AND LEGAL
ASPECT OF ADVERTISING
The advertising industry operates within strict federal regulations and is monitored by the
Federal Trade Commission. Even with truth-in-advertising laws in place, advertisers have
significant leeway to violate the ethical standards of a wide range of consumers. Advertisers
have to be especially careful to act ethically at all times, taking extra care when advertising to
children, advertising potentially harmful products and using psychological tactics to stimulate
demand. Having a list of ethical and legal issues at hand when creating advertisements can
help you to craft legal, responsible ad messages

I. ETHICAL AND MORAL PRINCIPLES OF ADVERTISING

1. Truthfulness in Advertising

2. The Dignity of the Human Person

3. Advertising and Social Responsibility

1. TRUTHFULNESS IN ADVERTISING

 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.

2. THE DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON

 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.

3. ADVERTISING AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

 Example: Concern for the ecology—advertising should not favor a lavish lifestyle which
wastes resources and despoils the environment Introduction Ethics in Advertising Laws
& Regulations.

II. LEGAL ISSUES

1. PUFFERY
Exaggerated by legal claims (Hallmark cards).

2. STEREOTYPING

3. STEALTH ADVERTISING
Promotional messages embedded in a story line but not explicitly presented as
advertising.

4. ADVERTISING TO CHILDREN
Controversial products (alcohol, tobacco, gambling) .

5. GRATUITOUS SEXUAL CONTENT

Using nudity, sexual imagery, and sex appeal, both explicitly and by innuendo, for the
purpose of attracting attention, despite little or no inherent sexual aspects of the
product/service/idea being advertised.

6. NEGATIVE CONTENT
Guilt appeal, humor appeal, fears appeal.

III. LEGAL ISSUES

The government in each country has to make sure that advertisements appearing do not flaunt of
their rules &regulations. It should not:-

 Show anti-national feelings

 Contain misleading information about the product
 Violate government rules