Chapter Eleven

 

1.     Why are so many people critical of advertising?

I think this is a really hard question to answer because I think people judge advertising harshly and without good reason. To begin with, many people think that certain advertisements are too sexual or vulgar, or that they don’t do anything to promote the product that they’re advertising. Unfortunately for these people, they only add to the hype of said advertising making the advertisements much more effective. The goal of any advertising is to get the name of the brand out there and to promote it well so that you’ll want to buy it.  People criticize the way that this is done because often times, advertisements contain questionable content that some say isn’t necessary in order to accomplish their goals. Even though the advertisement are simply a mirror of the demand by society, it is the advertisers who catch much of the blame for what is displayed in magazines, TV’s and other forms of advertisements.

2.     If you were a parent, what strategies would you use to explain an objectionable ad to your child or teenager? Use an example.

If I were a parent, I would begin by not sheltering my child or teenager from the ad because pretending that something doesn’t exist doesn’t mean that they won’t ever see it. I would much rather be able to watch it with them or explain it to them afterwards than for them to see it with their friends and be clueless. I would then explain why certain things were done/said and ask them how they feel about it. For example, if a commercial for KY Lubricant came on such as the one featured below, I would use this as an opportunity to explain why it’s been featured (glamorized sex sells) and then I would use it as an opportunity to talk about sex and see if they had any questions. Chances are they do (even at a young age) and this is an easy icebreaker. The same could be done if the advertisements in question talked about drugs, foul language, or other serious topics.

3.     Should advertisements aimed at children be regulated? Support your response.

Yes, I think advertisements that are directly aimed at children should be regulated. Children are very impressionable, and although free speech is given to everyone, regardless of age, I think that it’s the responsibility of the advertisers to make good choices when it comes to appealing to the young masses. Unfortunately, I don’t think the advertisers always have good judgment on what is and is not appropriate for children, so regulations are necessary. Not only do I feel as though children need to be protected, but I also feel that it’s important not to betray parents of children because they are the ones buying the products those advertisers are appealing to children. If parents are offended or upset, business will be lost.