Ethical Issues In Advertising Towards Children

Published Date: 23 Mar 2015

Technology has improved the communication system, providing marketers with the ability to collect and disseminate information around the world in lightning speed and has dramatically changed the landscape of advertising industry. Now marketers are able to know more about the customers and communicate in a more effective and meaningful manner. In the process of developing a marketing strategy for a new product or service, it is essential to identify the main mode of communication such as advertising, personal selling, and sales promotion, which is depending on the target market.

Today, advertising is in a state of transition where it is moving away from focus on products and more towards focus on customers. Advertising agencies uses various forms of media which includes on television, magazines, radio, newspapers and internet sites. Advertising is responsible for the success of most companies and a necessary market force that is involved in all forms of multimedia. It is everywhere from on buses, billboards and hot-air balloons, irrespective whether people like it or not. Advertisement has invaded living rooms, classrooms and almost every aspect of human life. With the given exposure on consumer market, it makes one to wonder whether such exposure is good or bad for the population at hand. It is not surprising that professionals have disputed advertising's effect across the world.

In today's society, there are many different cultures and races. So much so that everyone is brought up with his or her own individual beliefs and values. It is impossible to please everyone and everyone seems to have his or her own interpretation of ethical way of advertising. Many people have different interpretation, but there has to be a common ground where every one can get along. Advertising agencies and the media represent the major parties in any advertising campaign. Among the parties, no one seems to be willing to accept responsibility of raising ethical standards.

It is common that advertising is constantly under the scrutiny of the public and bombarded by criticism. It has been accused of encouraging materialism and consumption, of stereotyping, of influencing us to buy items for which we have no need, of taking advantage of children, of manipulating our behavior, using sex to sell, and generally contributing towards the down fall of our social system (Das 2007). Blogs and website are dedicated to criticize the various aspect of advertisement. There are a number of examples that can be used to give ideas on how the public perceives advertising and depicting the various legal and ethical problems in the advertising industry.

Advertising Techniques

There are several techniques that advertisers use for selling products and are persuasive in nature that one can analyze. The most frequently used technique is the famous-person testimonial. In this technique, a product is endorsed by a well-known person i.e. a famous actor, Brad Pitt with Tag Heuer or a tennis icon, Roger Federer with Rolex (Rhetoric of Advertising).

One of the oldest persuasive and conventional techniques is plain-folk pitch. This plain-folk technique looks perfectly ethical at first glance to most people but things are not always what they appear to be. It associates a product with simplicity, making things appear to be much simpler than they are and hope to attract attention by telling one that there is a need for it. One of the few example of typical Plain-folks pitch is Toyota's ("Everyday"), Volkswagen ("Drivers wanted"), General Electric ("We bring good things to life") and Microsoft ("Where do you want to go today?"). These slogan stresses on how it fits into the daily life of ordinary people (Rhetoric of Advertising).

Another common persuasive approach used by advertisers selling jewelry, perfume, clothing, and luxury cars is the snob-appeal approach. In this approach, advertisers try to make a person believe that their stature will be alleviated upon the purchase of the product and be accepted into and elitist society, which they aspire to be a part of. The snob-appeal approach is most effective when advertising luxury items. For example, Mitsubishi sedans uses phrase like "a new level of luxury" and Infiniti cars associated with elegance against and backdrop of high-society parties (Rhetoric of Advertising).

Another approach is called the bandwagon effect, which points out that everyone else is using the products, and those who are not will be left out. Advertisers preys on the fear that most people have, which is better knows as "keeping up with the Jones". It influences people in a way to think in a way "what is good for the majority of the people, it must be good for me" (Rhetoric of Advertising).

A different and unethical technique is the hidden-fear approach. This technique preys on people's fear or insecurity to sell a product, which is concentrate mainly on low involvement products such as deodorant, toothpaste, shampoo and etc. These products are easily substituted by their competitors are extremely active in this type of advertising. As an example, deodorant, mouthwash, and dandruff-shampoo advertisement often highlight that the products can relieve embarrassing personal hygiene problems. The hidden-fear techniques incite irrational fears in people but remain as one of the most successful advertising techniques available (Rhetoric of Advertising).

There is another way which one can examine advertising techniques is through the Association Principle. Historically, American cars often display automobiles in natural settings such as long winding back roads, cutting through rugged mountain passes or across green pastures. It rarely shows the real picture of congested city streets or in urban setting. Products advertised are associated with happy families, success at work, beautiful scenery or humor but in actual fact, has little connection with the product itself. Through this association principle, women have been stereotyped and portrayed as a sex objects or a clueless housewife (Rhetoric of Advertising).

The abovementioned unethical techniques or approach have given a reason for people to distrustful advertisers. It is just a method and another way of tricking people into believing that a product is something that it is not, which is just blatantly unethical and unacceptable. There is a lot of controversy in the ethics of advertising in the industry as there is no specific Code of Ethics or Code of Professional Conduct. Generally, the major controversy in the ethics of advertising involves beer, tobacco, apparels/clothings and cereals.

Ethics of Advertising towards Children In Relation To Beer

The predominant criticism of beer advertisement is often referred to the sexist portrayal of women. Beer companies are not only notorious for exploiting women in their promotions but also targeting teenagers. Alcoholism has always been a problem in our society, especially when it is in the hand of teenagers. There are many factors, which causes children to participate in consumption of alcohol, which includes alcoholic parents, peer pressure, and media factor.

The media factor is the most influential factor and generally unregulated or uncensored. There has always been an existence of alcohol advertisement in all forms of media that have been intentionally targeting teenagers. For example, the world's largest brewer, Anheuser-Busch (Budweiser) is involved in attracting underage consumers to its brands. Budweiser uses an assortment of cute animals to promote its products like frogs, ants, penguins, dogs, chimpanzees and horses. The advertisement was animated and clearly attractive to young children. It provides a growing body of evidence that the advertisement is meant to attract, entertain and teach young children about beer. Beer companies know that if they can recruit children now, they can secure them as future consumers.

Another risk factor is that the uses of alcohol products in potentially dangerous area such as drink alongside driving and water activities like boating swimming or playing on the beach. The advertisement portrays the fun of drinking but not the dangers involved. Besides that, they also linked to sociability, elegance, physical attractiveness, success, romance and adventure. . A study funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) significantly shows that alcohol advertising does influence young drinkers. With the clear results, beer companies cannot cynically claim that alcohol advertising is only about brand choice and has no effect on underage drinking.

Ethics of Advertising towards Children In Relation To Tobacco

To start with, tobacco advertisers well known to use methods that are labeled to be unethical to sell tobacco products. The famous Marlboro Man advertisement (picture below) demonstrates the power that marketers have in influencing consumers. The advertisement tells a mini story about a lone and tough cowboy and his horse, with towering pins and snow-covered mountain in the background. It ask viewers to imagine his adventures, as he returns home after an autumn cattle drive. The cowboy's ability to survive amid the forces of nature is a tribute to rugged individualism, probably America's most powerful culture (Rhetoric of Advertising). This is a deception and what is not seen in the advertisement is the reality of the real world where smoking actually takes place in a fast moving, technology driven urban world.

1972 Marlboro Cigarette Man Horse Mountain Ad

Come to where the flavor is. Come to Marlboro Country (http://marlborocigarettesblog.blogspot.com).

Another example is the Camel brand. The Camel brand personality is consistent with a strategy of attracting youth to cigarettes by positioning them as an initiation into adulthood as shown the picture below. Despite unethical issues, tobacco companies have long been aware and taking advantage of the fact that the key to attracting youth is to show cigarettes as among the illicit pleasures of drinking alcohol, smoking marijuana and having sex. By aiming advertisement on children and minor, places a burden and will likely influence them toward a highly addictive and harmful product. Today, tobacco companies faces various restriction imposed by government, forcing them to rely on the creation of brand name to attract young consumers (R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company).

Camel

Camel has enjoyed nearly a century of outstanding success, and what was true of the original Camel is just as true today -- it's a "Pleasure to Burn." Introduced in 1913, Camel became R.J. Reynolds' first major cigarette brand and the country's first nationally marketed cigarette. Camel's unique blend of flue-cured, burley and exotic Turkish tobaccos made it the nation's No. 1 selling brand just four years after its introduction.

An authentic original, Camel is a brand with a rich heritage and one that also keeps up with the times. Camel's combination of a classic nature and contemporary flair reinforce the brand's position as a flavorful cigarette with a rich heritage, a colorful personality and an irreverent sense of humor.

Camel is a growth brand because it is R.J. Reynolds' largest and fastest-growing full-price brand and has a track record of consistent share growth and marketplace momentum. And the brand's relevant and unique positioning has made it one of the few full-price brands in the industry that has shown sustained growth.

 

(R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company)

Tobacco marketers and companies have failed to live up to the ethical norms of the duty to do no harm. Tobacco marketers do not gain much trust in the marketing system, as there are elements of deception with regards to their advertising. Critics have argued advertisement has influenced consumers to consume more of these products and the harmful impact would diminish by removing or cutting such advertisements. However, there are those that to not agree with the statement, claiming that there is no real evidence that the advertisement has influence on consumption and advertisement is not the danger but instead, the product should be regulated.

Regardless of the motives or desires of tobacco companies, consumers are and will continue to be impacted by marketing. Despite the restrictions, tobacco marketing assert a strong influence and continued to lure children and teens. The advertisement pitch directed to the young, instilling lifestyle and aspiration with close up of muscular surfers and slender, sexy women promising teenager popularity and sex appeal. Furthermore, tobacco marketers use shot of hang gliders, mountain climbers, ski racers and aerobic dancers to associate adventure or athletic prowess with smoking. For the tobacco companies to maintain its sales, the tobacco industry must recruit more than 2 million people every year to replace those who die and those who quit smoking. The industry must entice at least 5000 youngsters daily to take up smoking (Andre and Velasquez. 2008).

Ethics of Advertising towards Children In Relation To Apparels/Clothings

A huge billboard was placed in the middle of Times Square, US, for the advertisement of Calvin Klein underwear (Calvin Klein: A Case Study). A picture of two little children was shown on that billboard. The two children was in their underwear, standing on a couch, grinning and clowning around. The billboard advertisement had attracted many criticism and critics had complained that there is essence of pornography and would encourage pedophilia.

The controversial billboard has started a clash religious conservatives and the bold fashion designer, Calvin Klein, known for publishing the bounds of sexuality in advertising. Its explicit sexualize image in the pictures of young kids playing around in their underwear, shows the attitude of the fashion designer that almost anything goes if it helps sells a product. Nowadays, the publics are exposed to continuous bombardment of advertising images on daily basis. Advertising designers feels that to create an advertisement that will shock, stand out and grab the attention of the consumers even if it is unethical.

Due to the negative effect on children, using sex appeal in advertising has become an incredibly controversial issue. Some examples include poor self-esteem, poor body image, manipulation of children's young minds into purchasing their company's product, and lastly the unacceptable sexual portrayal of children in advertising. A few advertisements, which portray these points, came from Teen People Magazine, Maxim Magazine, and past Calvin Klein advertisements found over the internet. Lastly, the negative effects of sex appeal in advertising on our children will continue until people stop allowing sex appeal in advertising to dictate not only their behavior but also how they feel about themselves and others. Due to public outrage, Calvin Klein had cancelled the billboard in Times Square about 24 hours later and a spokesperson claimed that the billboard advertisement was intended to create warmth and spontaneous snapshot that can be found in a family photo.

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Calvin Klein: A Case Study. http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/resources/ educational/ handouts/ethics/calvin_klein_case_study.cfm (accessed Mar 8, 2010).

FTC Policy Statement On Deception. http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/policystmt/ad-decept.htm (accessed Mar 7, 2010).

Das, P. 2007. A Conceptual Review Of Advertising Regulation And Standards: Case Studies In The Indian Scenario. http://dspace.iimk.ac.in/bitstream/2259/ 312/1/743-752.pdf (accessed Mar 8, 2010).

Legal Information Institute. Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. v. Public Service Commission of New York (No. 79-565) 47 N.Y.2d 94, 390 N.E.2d 749, reversed.http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/historics/USSC_CR_0447_0557_ZO.html (accessed Mar 7, 2010).

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