Unethical Advertisements in the United States from 1990’s up to 2009
ABSTRACT
In the United States, advertising is an important sector of the economy. It generates employment for thousands of local employees. Large and even small businesses depend on advertising to provide their customers with their products’ information. It also serves as an income generating channel for media outlets such as television, radio broadcasting networks, news agencies, magazine publications, etc.
In the 1990’s, advertising underwent a period of reconstruction because advertisments were reduced due to the depressed economy. It also experienced the migration from the old media channels as advertisers shifted from the traditional media to digital channels like the Internet, mobile telephones, e-readers, website, etc. During these tumultous times up to the new millenium, the ethics of advertising was challenged by the ways which companies and advertisers conveyed their messages to their consumers.
1. INTRODUCTION
Media business has always relied on advertising. In the United States, advertising is an important sector of the economy. It generates employment for thousands of local employees. It also accounts for an estimated 2% of the national output. (Kirchoff , 2009, p. 3) Large and even small businesses depend on advertising to provide their customers with their products’ information and it also serves as an income generating channel for media outlets such as television, radio broadcasting networks, news agencies, magazine publications, etc. In the 1990’s, advertising underwent a period of reconstruction because advertisments were reduced due to the depressed economy. It also experienced the migration from the old media channels as advertisers shifted from the traditional media to digital channels like the Internet, mobile telephones, e-readers, website, etc. (p. 3)
The then developing digital market provided great exposure because it is a precise marketing tool which targets individual consumer rather than a broad group. It is also very cost effective. The market changes in terms of organization also required changes in advertising platforms that answers on the issues of website regulations, privacy, media margins, among others. (Rowse & Fish, 2005, p. 22) These changes required more demands on baseline ethics in advertising. Advertisers must convey truthful ads. They must show the benefits and features of their products without prejudices and biases. Truth in advertising, however, did not hinder some companies and advertising agencies to cross the line of ethical standards.
2. UNETHICAL ADVERTISMENTS DURING THE 1990’s - 2009
It was in the 1990’s, according to Naomi Klein, that the youth market was very much attracted to the concept of being “cool.” Hence, they will follow or buy anything in order to be “cool.” Thus, the corporations producing various products render their unethical advertisements in order to play up this cool factor. They resort to a process wherein they even hire researchers to spy on the young people for them to keep up with what is cool to them or not. They promote consumerism over and over by insinuating the coolness of their products. Once, the bandwagon gets it, they then turn to other materials and products and start of with their unethical advertisements. (Media Awareness Network, 2010, p. 1)
Unethical advertisements commoditized the concepts such as “teen anger, cooperation or activism” by repackaging it into something which their products and services represent or convey. Then, they market it to the youth. For instance, the advertisments of fashion brands like Calvin Klein, Guess and Abercrombie & Fitch employed provocative marketing messages focusing on the young, perfect people. They subliminally insinuated adult sex more than the selling of fashion items such as jeans and shirts. (p. 1)
These youth are very much influenced by what they see from the media i.e.television, radio, Internet, and movies. Hence, these were where they derived their stories and knowledge about sex. In their 1999 study, the U.S. Center for Media Education revealed that 62% of alcohol and beer and websites depicted images of features pertaining to youth such as those events and activities which interest them. They also targeted the youth through sports advertisements at the break of television shows with high ratings such as The Simpsons, South Park or sporting events. Unethical advertisements were also found in magazines with high teens and pre teen audiences such as the Rolling Stone, Maxim or People. Unethical advertisements were also rampant in rock concerts and sporting events. For instance, the Mike’s Hard Lemonade which purportedly a mix of alcohol and sweet carbonated drinks are often advertised during such events. (Media Awareness Network, 2010, p. 1)
Such advertisements held power. As Haug (1987) puts it, “ the importance of advertisements is not in its economic value ut mor eon its cultural sense.” Advertising has been part of the media and culture and it has been developing modern culture and not just selling off some products or services. In the context of consumer capitalism, this is very significant. The youth, especially, depends on symbols and representations which relate their social existence to their consumption. Hence, they are being manipulated in the process.
3. EXAMPLES OF UNETHICAL ADVERTISMENTS
For instance, the youth’s ideas of gender such as masculinity and femininity are all embedded in the way they perceive images as portrayed by advertisements. Unethical advertisements subvert the true notion of what is feminine and masculine because they convey images and messages which are not true in its essence. In another example, Marlboro employed unethical advertisments targeting the 50s Throwbacks while its Marlboro Lights counterparts would target the Uptown Girls market segment. The company applied the cultural concepts of being personally concern with smoking or being irreverent about living so that they can convey their message of being independent and free or even “smart” to smoke on their own even when they are still young.
Snyder & Milici (2006) described advertisers as extending the lines of dark humor and tactics of shocking the audience starting the 1990’s onwards. This is shown by the gory, sexy, vulgar, sacriligious, and even violent details in print advertisements. These unethical advertisements altered the way people think and act.
3.1. Alcohol Advertisements
The authors cited that the Georgetown University’s Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth found out that the alcohol companies in the United States spent close to $2 billion on annual advertisements. From 2001 up to 2007, a total of 2 million plus advertsiments in television were about alcoholic products. Meanwhile, there were also 20,000 magazine advertisements for the same products. Snyder & Milici (2006) also reported that more than 2 million alcohol advertisements were placed on television from 2000 to 2007. Likewise, there were also more than 19,000 alcohol advertisements placed in the country’s national magazines from 2001 up to 2006. By the end of 2007, an estimated one fifth of these advertisements was targeted to the youth between 12 to 20 yeras of age, especially those which were on cable television. Hence, the unethical targeting is seen in the way that the advertisments are exposed more to those who are not yet legally free to drink than those who are already adults. They also reached out to this age bracket by way of radio, billboard, stadium and movie advertisements. (Snyder & Milici, 2006, p. 20) The Journal of Adolescent Health study found that in 2009, the ratio of the alcoholic beverage’s targeting of youth rather than adult is slated at 3.5 increase in most magazines around the United States. This was proportionate to the increase of 40% in youth readership of the said magazines. (Snyder & Milici, 2006, p. 21)
3.2. Tobacco Advertisements
In terms of tobacco consumption, unethical advertisements were also rampant during the said period under this study. Aside from intensifying one’s tobacco intake, these advertisemenst also conjured the concepts of relationship with the positive social characteristics, brand loyalty, and the right and freedom to smoke. (Beauchamp, Bowie, & Arnold, 2008, p. 35) Hence, for example, when Marlborro touched on rugged individualism for men or when Marlborro Lights impressed the reduction of weight for women, these messages were played up with the images and themes such as peer belonginess, independence, among others. It also promoted smoking among the young ones. Tobacco brands also appeal to specific market segments such as those who are blue-collared workers, young African Americans, and young smokers. (Allhoff & Vaidya, 2008, p. 54)
Other forms of unethical advertisments for the tobacco industry which emerged during the 1990’s were the promotional channels such as coupons for gift catalogs, direct mail, affinity magazines, and promotional booths at targeted venues as well as other niche-market efforts. (Haug, 1987, p. 23)
3.3. Sex in Unethical Advertisements
According to Santelli, Ott, Lyon, & Rogers (2006), sex is utilized in unethical advertisements to market everything from consumer products to professional services. This leads to the earlier exposure of the teenagers in the United States to sexual content in the media. Further studies relate these with the increased trends in pre martial sex and teenage pregnancies. It is interesting to highlight that between the first month of 2004 up to October, pharmaceutical companies have been advertising such products such as Cialis, Levitra, and Viagra. Their advertising budget even reached up to $343 million. In contrast, the advertising for birth control and responsible sex and/or parenthood had been lacking. On the major television networks, there were also the absences of advertisements for birth control products or instant contraceptives.
This contradicts the survey which revealed that a majority of viewing Americans are in favor of birth control advertisements on their television screens. Advertisements about Viagra, etc. provide the unnecessary curiosity for children and teens. It sends a very improper message on sex and sexuality especially that they have not yet encountered such concepts in their school studies. (Santelli, & Rogers, 2006, p. 84) Lastly, these advertisements often make use of of female models who are very thin or even anorectic in their physical forms. Hence, this also contributes to the misorientation on the youth about the right body self-image. It can also promote abnormal eating behaviors in young teens.
3.4. Unethical Advertisement Targeting Children
The most serious forms of unethical advertisements are those which target the children. Some authors call it “insidious form of unethical advertisement.” (Media Awareness Network, 2010, p. 1) The effect of this is detrimental because, as the American Academy of Pediatrics (2001, p. 423) said, “these youngsters are very impressionable and they instantly believe what they see on their televisions as depicted by the advertisements.” This implies that the children’s food intake are generally being influenced by what they see on television.
Companies offering sugar based products advertise their sweets to children by relating joy with consumption of their sweet products. They do not retain the basic truth that sweet foods, when taken in large amounts, will lead to diseases such as diabetes, obesity or even tooth decay. Even when the parents try to responsively teach their children what proper food to eat, the blatant and constant advertisements are very hard to fight since these unethical ads take the form of entertainment. (Media Awareness Network, 2010, p. 1)
Traditionally, the advertisers have utilized techniques to which youth and children are lured to their products. Hence, they place product dispalys and advertisements in television shows and in movies. For example, some companies will tie in their food product with a certain movie in such a way that there is a marketing linkage between movies and fast foods. Hence, an action figure can be seen in television or movie shows.
3.5. Endorsers of Unethical Advertisements
Popular persons and celebrities are also used to endorse such products and services. During the middle of the 1990’s and up to now, the mobile phone producers are tapping the 6 to 12 year olds with their subtle advertisements. According to Snyder & Milici (2006), Coca-Cola was said to have paid Warner Bros. Studios the sum of $150 million for the global marketing rights to the movie “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.” Several global fast food restaurants also mentioned a toy premium in their advertisements. Various marketing tie-in products are considered not proper for children. However, the marketing world eludes this and the consumers also allow it. For instance, the Austin Powers movie sensatinalized profanities and this was extensively promoted through marketed action figures being sold at restaurants during the movie’s showing dates. (p. 3)
4. CONCLUSION
To conclude, the period between the 1990’s and 2009 was marked by the prevalence of mostly unethical advertisements on alcohol, drugs, and sex and food products which are all geared at pumping up the consumption of the American public. Sadly, they were all endorsed by great personages and had a significant impact on its audiences, most especially the young. Unethical advertisements failed to address the moral standards and the needed social values which the American people must have. Apparently, all these advertisements have a significant effect on both the adult and the young audiences it purports to address.
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