The important thing is that this remains the ad’s singular intent: that it’s selling the product it purports to be selling.
The viewer knows he’s seeing a biased 30-second attempt to promote the consumption of a certain product. It’s not as if they must exclusively argue that Tide is an effective solvent or that it’s a bargain (and even if they did, few would take those messages at face value). But I don’t think it’s incumbent on the creator of the commercial to pitch the product for the “right” reasons (whatever those may be). They can’t fabricate factual data Tide can’t claim it makes you taller or that it’s safe to eat as a snack. The only inflexible ethical expectation is that Tide won’t lie to you directly. Try to persuade me to buy Tide instead of Cheer.” We know what we are seeing and what Tide is trying to do.
SUBLIMINAL MESSAGES ADVERTISEMENTS TV
When a commercial for Tide laundry detergent comes on TV and the viewer elects to continue watching, the viewer is essentially saying: “O.K., pitch me on Tide. I say this because, within reason, adults should be expected to understand the implicit agreement they enter into by watching advertising. That argument is valid, but it draws an awkward distinction between “lifestyle” advertising and subliminal messaging. As such, it would be easy to argue that it’s unethical (because deception is unethical). Subliminal advertising is an optical trick. Yet if it works to any degree whatsoever, it creates a unique ethical dilemma. Now, the general scientific consensus is that this advertising strategy doesn’t work particularly well. The fact that the commercial’s erroneous relationship can be described and mocked proves that a consumer can recognize and reject the ad’s message. But this isn’t the same as subliminal advertising. Beer commercials show beer-drinkers living dynamic lives, so the implication is that consuming a certain type of beer will make your life more exciting. Your question is closer to the plot of John Carpenter’s “They Live.”Įveryone knows that advertisers try to create unreal associations between products and lifestyles. But you’re asking about something significantly more complex. In the eyes of the government, clarity of purpose is paramount: An ethical commercial seeks to distinguish a product from its competition, while an unethical advertisement tries to cloud that distinction and purposefully confuse the consumer. The Federal Trade Commission and the Bureau of Consumer Protection have each considered this issue, including situations in which the problem isn’t even visible. But I’ve found myself thinking about it a lot, and so have a lot of other people. When I first received this question, I did not take it too seriously. Is this practice unethical? ADAM GIDDING, NEW YORK The desired result, presumably, is that the consumer will then buy the product with the misguided intent of fulfilling said desire. Some companies use manipulative branding techniques that create untrue associations between their products and some deep human desires - like sex or social status - with the goal of having the viewer establish this connection unconsciously. Our subconscious beliefs, which we cannot easily understand or change, motivate many of the decisions we make.
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