Advertising is...

Advertising Ethical?

There can be honesty in advertising, but frequently fiction can be perfected into a truth. Reality is, what you see is what you get.

Attention Span

It's reality when stating that this generation has a shorter attention span, but this generation is exposed to a different lifestyle. The people of this generation grew into an environment with technology. Children watch television on the regular, listen to music, play on a parent's iPad, or even use the computer for homework. Though, children decades ago would go outside to play with friends, enjoy the day at the park, and homework was completed by hand. Even adults have advanced to a technological lifestyle, they check the weather or email their friends on their smartphones. With technology advancing every day, we as people become more absorbed in it. 

Before this generation, people did everything themselves, whether it was brewing your own coffee, using a paper map, created games with your friends at the park and anything that didn't involve technology. People didn't have access to such advanced technology, so they didn't rely on it. Though, when technology started to advance, it turned heads and curiousity took over. It was something new, something exciting, and offered a great benefit; it made your lifestyle easier. People didn't have to take that extra minute or effort to accomplish a simple task. People run on food, not machines, and they eventually tire out. It takes time and effort to anything and everything, whether it's cooking food or leaving early to catch the bus. 

If there was an easier and faster way to complete the daily routine, people would jump for the chance and that's why people become highly attached to technology. It's easy and fast, which is convenient and less time consuming and people want that. There isn't anyone who wants to spend their time stressing out, working, or wasting their time when they do not have to. People want to live and enjoy their life. Technology has allowed people to actually live because they don't need to spend unnecessary time and effort. Technology has made our lifestyles easier and gave people more time to do whatever they choose to do. Relying on technology benefits us in many ways, but the major benefit would be saving us time. Therefore, people spend less time thinking about what they are going to do, which decreases our attention to that task. This attachment to technology has been increasing over time and continues to because of it's great benefits. 

People start to pay attention to more of what they view, but they spend less time on each. This habit becomes normal and that's why people can't focus on one topic so easily; they're not used to such demanding attention. Advertisements are meant to be quick and easy, so people can receive them well. It doesn't matter whether a person views 5 or 10,000 advertisements a day, people, in a way, have trained to move their attention span constantly and quickly. 

Advertisements that are more time consuming can be useless because people have trained for quick advertising. They know what they like and they'll continue viewing an advertisement only if they find it interesting. Technology offered people more time by taking up less of their time and effort. Social media like Facebook, Youtube or Twitter offer news, updates, entertainment, etc., and it comes in an all-in-one package. People become absorbed in these effortless entertainments with all the short distractions from every direction, where they don't even notice how time-consuming they really are. They become so absorbed, where their attraction to them become part of their lifestyle that's too important to ever let go. 

It's not whether there are too many advertisements everywhere, but whether the advertisements consume too much of our time. People don't want to waste their time on an advertisement about a product they may not even purchase; it would be a waste of time and effort and people don't want to take that chance. If advertisements are short, quick and easy, people receive the message without effort and very little time. That's what people want, advertisements that don't waste their time. We have naturally trained ourselves because of technology, to quickly move our attention from one to another. This technological lifestyle is this generation's lifestyle. 

This is an example of how people are living a technological lifestyle. This coffee brewing system is a two-in-one, it brew your coffee with a quick touch and many different kinds of coffees to choose from. All the choices in the comfort of your own home, no need to head down 5 blocks to that special cafe or spending time you don't have to brew a hot cup of coffee. 

People don't even wash their dishes anymore, they have this machine do the work. Ah, the time and effort saved, now you can take a nap or do that homework that's due Monday morning. This is another example of how people are living a technological lifestyle. 

This smartphone offers the weather, emails, music, entertainment, news, stocks, a camera, calendar, etc. all in the palm of your hands. The first and last object people will touch throughout their day because it offers so much. It's easy to use and everything you need is there, which makes gives you quick access for anything needed. This is where people can check updates of their social media websites as well. With such convenience from this device, people become attached and use it for almost everything. I don't blame them, it's quite distracting. 

These are older advertisements, both containing long body text or great detail. My question is, did people really take the time to view it all? This would prove that people had a higher attention span before, where they took the time to actually read an advertisement. 

Though, these are present day advertisements, more simple and easy to read. Possibly, advertisement agencies started to create simple and short, yet meaningful advertisements based on the new generations of audience. 

It's understood that some older advertisements do not all contain long text or great detail, but it has become more common to keep it simple and meaningful. Advertisements created throughout the years have become more simple and clean, mostly because people don't want to take the time or effort to view 5,000 advertisements every single day. 

Shock-vertising

The use of shocking advertisements are common because they have a meaningful attraction. Whether it be good for the brand itself, it's grabbing attention from people and that's the reason for advertising. Sometimes, shock-vertising can do harm to the brand because people will assume it's the agency's perspective of the issue from the advertisement. There are different kinds of people viewing advertisements and they all have a different perspectives on them. When a person views an advertisement of a brand they aren't familiar with, they'll have a negative thought about it until they find a favourable reason to like it. Though, there are brand-loyal customers who will view such advertisements as well, which definitely makes it a difficult factor of shock-vertising, as it could easily send the wrong message to the viewer. 

Despite the possible negatives of shock-vertising, it is definitely a clever approach to promote a brand. These types of advertisements have you thinking, which means you take a few seconds or even a minute bringing your attention to it. Advertisements are created to interest you to at least consider the brand that's being advertised, but they need to grab your attention first. Shocking advertisements are attention grabbers, they make you question, understand, learn, and think. The question is whether it's worth using an shocking message to advertise a brand and whether it will damage the reputation of the brand. Every person thinks differently about everything, so it's risky to include such bizarre context to your advertisement. 

It's all about what shocking context is used in your advertisement and if it sends a positive message about the topic to the audience. It is a great benefit for an advertisement to consist of clear messages of integrity or other positive messages, but not all will be received in this manner. Obviously, agencies aren't purposely being offensive or disrespectful and that's why they need to be careful with the context and how it's used in their advertisement. It all depends on the agency and whether it is worth it to make use of shock-vertising to their them. I believe it can work well, but it can also backfire very easily. You need to be careful with what context you use and have great art direction for it, or it will only gain a negative response. All advertisements will have negative responses, but you need to advertise for an overpowering number of positive responses. That's what makes shock-vertising worth the risk. 

Some people may hate this shock-vertisement for personal or general reasons and some people may love it. There may be people who can and cannot relate, but the message is easily understood. It's definitely an overpowering positive due to the great art direction used in sending the message about this important issue. So, in this case..it was worth it for this agency(in my opinion). 

This shock-vertisement promotes marriage equality/LGBTQ as well as unified colonies. Some people do not support marriage equality and may support unifying colonies or vice-versa. Though, the message speaks about how both issues are hated on and how it will do better for the world to unhate.  It's very shocking at first and can be very difficult to support for some, but the message strives to better the world. Plus, who wouldn't want to react positively from this great, encouraging and meaningful message? I know, some people may not..but the positive message overpowers because it's advertising the issue.  I personally enjoy this advertisement as it is a great way to address this issue and because it's a very shocking attention grabber. 

Infidelity

Cheating is wrong and no one deserves it. Being a person of doing the positive, I feel that infidelity should be frowned upon. If you're with someone you admire, like or love, why would you try and harm their feelings? It's possible that you want to be happy, but ruining their happiness isn't an option. So, the choice of cheating and not getting caught becomes a reality. This would refer to the saying, "What you don't know, won't hurt you." People cheat because they want that feeling of a new love/interest because they can't achieve those feelings with the person they're currently with. They also do not want to hurt the person they're with, so they do it with the hope of hiding it forever. Maybe those feelings you once had are gone now, but that's not a reason to cheat. 

If the other person doesn't know about your sin, don't you still know? The question is whether you care enough to feel ashamed for cheating. It's possible that the positive feelings overpowers the negative feelings of cheating. It may make you feel alive, new and in that stage of having a first love, but that's not your reality. You will still be dealing with a negative situation and emotion after all that, and it's definitely going to urge you to feel the positive emotions again. Though, it's understandable that everyone needs to do what they want once in a while. Every person wants to do positive, but sometimes it is what's positive..for themselves and sometimes this means doing what you can to get that feeling, that happiness. 

Yes, everyone hopes for happiness in life, even if cheating is the path to go. People do what they do to be happy themselves. There could be a woman who doesn't eat for days, just to save enough for her son's birthday present because she wants her son to be happy. But why? She wants her son to be happy because that is what makes her happy. It doesn't matter what you do, people do what they do for their own happiness. 

Advertisements that encourage infidelity are trying to give you an option for happiness. The target audience for these types of advertisements are depressed young adults/adults in a relationship they prefer not to be in. In a sinful way, these advertisements are quite smart. They take a sensitive issue and they encourage you to put it on hold, while you look for happiness. As said earlier, people want to be happy. 

Personally, cheating is not my kind of happiness. Infidelity hurts people and I prefer it wasn't used for an agency's benefit. Infidelity can cause divorce, but if not, a memory and hurt emotions that last forever. All advertisements encouraging infidelity motivates a person to act in a sinful way. If you aren't happy in a relationship, why don't you go separate ways? People who cheat will either get caught and/or feel awful about it and however you feel shouldn't matter to the situation anymore. Some people cheat to find happiness, but other people find happiness without cheating. So, why not find happiness the right way. Don't hurt people. Be kind to one another. 

I feel upset whenever I see such advertisements. They all motivate the negative way to happiness..

..like these! These advertisements use words/lines such as secret and if they didn't get caught, this is telling you about bad effects coming from doing the bad.

Subliminal

Subliminal advertising can be a great success and gain plenty of attention from the audience. Whether people think subliminal advertisements are manipulative, it's a success at advertising the product/service. The main idea of an advertisement is to create a name, to gain attention or a reputation for a brand. If including a subliminal message does that, it's just the advertising business. Personally, I feel that subliminal advertisements are smart because they're attention grabbers.

The hidden messages include sexual images or words that definitely gain attention. Sometimes, the audience will find humour in them and if not, they'll have some interest towards the advertisement. The use of sexual messages is smart because all people have interest in sex, whether it's speaking about it or..truth be told, just doing it. Therefore, any audience can relate to advertisements with an sexual message. Also, the obvious use of naughty bits could be offensive, inappropriate and disturbing for people. There are children publicly surrounded by advertisements and running such advertisements around them would be wrong. It could also receive a negative response in general, as not everyone speaks of such personal thoughts. This is why it's smart to have hidden subliminal messages, it's for those who understand such naughty terms. 

Overall, whether an advertisement has subliminal messaging or not, that factor doesn't matter. It's goal is to persuade and sell and it does exactly that. It's the job of an advertisement. Plus, even if a person catches the subliminal message within the advertisement, they still rethink facts about the product or service that aren't on the advertisement. They would mentally research the product/service before making a decision and even that all comes down to the buyer's choice. Subliminal messaging grabs attention, but it doesn't choose your final decision. 

For example: This advertisement has an intentional sexual visual in the ice cube. Yes, it grabs attention for those who view it. Though, the viewer will go back to the thought of Coca-Cola the soda and whether they should purchase this sugary carbonated drink. The subliminal messaging just grabs the viewer's attention a little more. 

Here's more advertisements with subliminal messaging:

Humour

It is completely true that humour is universal and everyone uses it. Though, not everyone has the same sense of humour, which means not everyone will laugh at the same kind of punchline. Every person is different and they all have different thoughts of everything. Sometimes, these thoughts can be very personal, which shouldn't be humourous to them. The slightest humour against that personal thought may trigger some negative emotions. Though, their personal thoughts of an idea is their personal issue, not the company of the advertisement. The advertisement will have a different target audience for this reason such as those who do appreciate the humour. The key to a successful humourous advertisement is to sell and to provide truth about the product/service. The main idea is to get noticed, whether people like it, enjoy it or even hate it. Being noticed would mean having a reputation and it's about getting your product out there and making a name for your company. 

I do believe it is worth the risk of a humourous advertisement to some extent. As long as your advertisement speaks the truth of your product/service, the people who have a personal issue with the humour are not an issue. Yes, humour within advertisements do gain attention, but most do not encourage buyers. On the other hand, these advertisements are a great starter point to gaining attention for the product/service. It isn't necessarily a waste to produce such advertisements, but there is a major risk of targeting the wrong audience. 

It all comes down to who you are speaking to through the advertisement. It all depends on who's your target audience and how you can gain their attention. Your target audience may be a certain group of different minds, but they all want a certain or similar benefit that your product/service offers. Therefore, it's necessary to include that certain information (USP or benefit) that your product offers and it has to be a benefit or need of your target audience. If this information is included in the advertisement with the humour, the advertisement can be a successful encouragement.

This Chupa Chups advertisement speaks the message of the product using light humour. It's possible that some people may just not enjoy lollipops or any candy, but it speaks the message of the product. Whether people enjoy Chupa Chups or not, they know it's sugar-free and that's the message. 

21st Century Healthcare Repella Insect Repeller: This advertisement adds humour with the, "Change the way insects see you" with the 'people' easily enjoying a picnic outdoors. Again, some people may not understand the humour within the use of a reptile, but it tells them that the repeller is that strong and that's exactly the benefit of the product. 

Here's a few more humourous advertisements that sends the message of the product, whether people enjoy the humour or not. (Personally, I really enjoy these last few advertisements because they instantly grab my attention with their bizarre humour. Plus, the strange humour makes them unforgettable and gets you thinking.)

Obesity Advertisements

People will always come in contact with advertisements, they're everywhere and anywhere. People will view different kinds of advertisements too, but that doesn't necessarily mean they will purchase every product/service they've seen from those advertisements. Why? Well, people definitely think about the product/service being advertised first, whether they need it or want it. There are many reasons for purchasing a product/service and those are exactly the reasons impacting a person's possible purchase. It all comes down to the consumer's final decision because their purchase is their money, and their money is their choice. 

Advertisements are definitely influential and a delicious burger or artificially flavourful candy isn't selling anything healthy. Even though it still comes down to the buyers' (most likely parents) decision, it is understood that a child can be a reason for any of these unhealthy purchases and that can be a factor on the parent's decision. This is how advertisements play a role in obesity, they advertise unhealthy products to children. These advertisements highly influence children's' needs and wants. Though, the question is whether parents should be more influential than these advertisements. Not only parents, but people in general should more influential over these advertisements. If people were taught about these unhealthy foods, if people were more of a positive influence than these advertisements, can we change their minds? 

Whether it's an advertisement for candy or 100% real juice, we as people choose what we want to purchase. That's what people need knowledge about, an understanding of a healthy lifestyle. You can snack on a sugary treat occasionally, but you need to balance it with a higher intake of healthy foods. People need to choose whether to consume unhealthy/healthy foods and they need to be persuaded to choose the healthier choice. Yes, advertisements play a great role in obesity because they advertise unhealthy and fattening foods. Though, you decide whether you give in and you decide what you become a consumer of. So, eat healthy and encourage others as well. Be a healthy influence. 

Maybe more healthy eating advertisements are needed everywhere.

Here is an example: How to influence healthy eating, positive and negative ways.

Photofaking

Of course, Photoshop does wonders for people with all its great editing tools. As a Graphic Design student, I use Photoshop for many benefits. Advertisements are made using Photoshop for the same reason and it's understandable why they make use of it. The reason for an advertisement is to sell a product/service and companies need to create the visual for it to be worth selling. I get that. You need to attract the eye in order to gain any attention. So should we or shouldn't we? It depends. It depends on how you are using Photoshop. 

Photoshop is definitely a great use for advertisements, good or bad. Though, it's the good advertisements that people take a second thought for. Plus, most people know that advertisements have Photoshop done on them, whether they care or understand it. Most people who see an advertisement focus on the product/service itself and that is understandable; that's what advertisements are for. The concern is editing an advertisement to the extent of lying. Being honest is what's right for anyone and that should be passed around. Advertisements are everywhere you go and people of all ages view them constantly. This means the younger generation will view them as well and whether they are getting an education or not, they spend their days learning. For someone to learn, they need to be taught and influenced and if they learn from these advertisements, they become influenced by them as well. Any information that is advertised in public can affect anyone, especially the younger generations who are learning every day. Exactly what should companies be teaching?

We should teach the truth in advertisements and not use Photoshop to an extent where it all becomes a lie. Being honest can help a company gain consumers as well because people can see right though them and they prefer not to be lied to. 'Pretty' can only do so much and it will not always count when it comes to people spending their hard-earned money on. Nor do people want their children learning from such advertisements because they prefer to raise them with proper morals. So, use Photoshop right or don't use it all.  

Mic Mac Mall Back To School Campaign

Honestly, this campaign is quite the head turner, but it's not receiving the right type of attention. The series in this advertisement campaign targets half their audience of who they're intending to target; stereotypical cliches of females and not one male. Their intention is to target an audience for Back To School shopping, though they only attempt to speak to the females. Last time I checked, school is attended by males as well. Regarding the design of the advertisements, they do not speak to the entire population of students. The advertisements use female cartoons holding female clothing and accessories and that does not target the male population. Just to clarify, not all females choose to dress as a stereotypical woman, which is another negative factor of their advertisements. Every person is different and that goes for peoples' styles as well, though, the cartoons consist of only stereotypical females. Whether they included males in their campaign, it would have still been considered insulting, especially if they sent the same message as they did to the females. The message itself received negative feedback, so to target both sexes with a negative message would probably fail. 

The agency does not understand shoppers; student or parent shoppers anywhere. The message they send in their advertisements are very insulting and sexist to the public, especially  to the parents. The advertisements have the people thinking young female students have no interest in school and prefer shopping over an education; thus, sending a message about their intelligence level. It gives female students a negative reputation, as well as having parents worried and insulted. 

I would not have run it because I clearly felt the message was sexist and insulting. Not only did this campaign lead to a decrease in shoppers, but it will not be forgotten. Though, they did donate a $5000 cheque and an apology for their campaign, it won't save the agency from their reputation. What's done is done and running that campaign already spoke of how the agency views females. 

The Facebook advertisements aren't as insulting as the others, though, it still only targets females. Having an education and shopping is for both sexes and the campaign clearly does not consider their audience to be of both sexes.