WEEK TWO EOC: Questionable Ethics

How We Let Advertisements Become Questionable

How We Let Advertisements Become Questionable

The transportation boom, coupled with the advent of the smart phone, have made us walking piggybanks for advertisers. Technology has made our lives more efficient, but the comfort does not come without cost. Every day our personal data is being sold to companies whose very goal is to bank on the interests, queries, and locations of unsuspecting people. To them, your online presence isn't without consideration, they know us, our habits, our interests, our dreams. For the very first time in history, our innermost thoughts have become profitable...VERY profitable. Advertising has become as widespread as student debt, and with its numerous entities, there must be numerous controversial ads. These questionable ads, which find their way through the cracks of morality, challenge both our own ethics (how we have come to perceive them), and the ethics of the advertisers themselves (the producers).

Questionable ethics means something's morality is in question. Things that make us ask ourselves, "Is this good? Is this bad?" With the most important follow-up "why?" What makes something good or bad? In the case of advertising, the message is almost as, yet not quite, important as the way the message is portrayed. Example 1: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, PETA has been known for their extreme advertisements, of which often expose the explicit and violent treatment of animals within slaughterhouse environments or captivity. The ad in question is one portraying a pro-vegetarian, pro-whale agenda. "SAVE THE WHALES, LOSE THE BLUBBER". The ad is unethical because it correlates the consumption of animals to obesity. This does nothing to address the other issues leading to obesity: lack of exercise, genetics, over-consumption of processed foods. The unethical base of the ad omits evidence to the underlying problem. It's similar to placing blame on one piece of an entire problem puzzle, when there are many more pieces left unaccounted for.

Ouch! Peta has no mercy when it comes to getting attention of it's viewers.

BICE - "Bread is Life"

Does anything really need to say about the unethical ad using a piece of bread shaped similar to male genitalia? Bread sticks are RUINED.

Hmm, that bread sure does look funny!

Tobacco companies are notorious for their ads portraying the product as a harmless. From Joe Camel, a cartoon camel appealing to children, to Newport's 'Pleasure' ads. Unassuming consumers have fallen prey to tobacco ads since the turn of the century, which has tethered off for the most part thanks to more regulation and conscience packaging. 

The more teeth that fall out of your mouth, the better and this dentist agrees!

Is this considered more ethical?

Ethics in advertising can go either way. It can be moral or amoral. There must be a middle ground. In the end, they are not trying to appeal to our morality, but to our wallets.