American Advertising Ethics
Ad Federation President Urges More Attention to Taste and Decency
New products and technologies and European ads provide temptations to stretch ethical limits. Wally Snyder calls upon advertisers to promote "taste and decency."
In December 2007, Wally Snyder, the respected president of the American Advertising Federation (AAF), began a series of website articles calling upon the industry to pay more attention "to advertising ethics."
Snyder cited an ad in Esquire to support his argument that advertisers and their agencies need to police themselves on ad content and graphics. To make his point, he borrowed a description of that ad from Brandweek Magazine:
"A woman, fully clothed in a tight dress and spiked heels, lies on her back, hips raised as a bare-chested man holds her down and four other men look on."
The magazine added that the woman "is blankly unsmiling" while the men "have slight sneers."
"Ad Did Not Advance the Image of the Advertising Industry"
Snyder said it was no surprise that women and women’s organizations "quickly took offense" to the ad. He commented that it was difficult to see how the ad did any good for the advertiser, a marketer of upscale Italian women’s fashions.
"It certainly did not advance the image of the advertising industry," he said.
In his second ethics essay, Snyder cited an ad for Belvedere Vodka as another that might insult women.
Since he is going beyond "truth in advertising" and including "taste and decency" within his ethics parameters, Snyder could have cited more examples.
Some Auto Commercials Stretching the Ethics Limits
Auto manufacturers, for instance, seem to be putting heavy emphasis on speed and wild rides in their commercials.
Another series of Toyota commercials shows car owners purposely destroying their old cars so they can buy new Toyotas. In one commercial, a young family takes satisfaction in pushing a huge boulder off a mountain to smash their car below.
In addition to ignoring the obvious and more sensible option (to trade in their old cars) the commercials encourage obviously dangerous and illegal acts that might fit into Snyder’s ethics discussion. The ads are intended for fun, but kids are watching too.
Fierce Competition, New Products Provide Ethics Temptations
Ethics are a growing issue because competition for accounts is fierce in both the media and ad agencies. Both are expected to handle products and services that were once taboo in advertising:
- Hard liquor advertising is increasing in network television.
- Prescription drug advertising for such problems as diabetes and depression has grown rapidly under heavy government scrutiny.
- Cialis, Viagra and Levitra have brought entirely new concepts and issues into advertising.
- Increasing obesity has widened the doors for questionable weight-loss products.
All of these products create temptation to stretch old ethics boundaries.
Amazing new graphics technologies provide methods to break out of those boundaries.
More provocative European ads, such as the two Snyder cited, are providing inspiration and ideas for American advertisers.
Psychologists Say Just One Commercial Can Impact Children
Parental and professional groups have expressed concern about the impact of adult-level ads on children. In 2007 the influential American Psychological Association (APA) started conducting studies and taking steps to protect children from harmful advertising.
The ad industry operates on the premise that it takes numerous ad exposures to impact an adult. However, APA says some studies show that after "just one exposure to a commercial, children can recall the ad's content and have a desire for the product."
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) has already proved it can make lawmakers and police pay more attention to the mixing of alcohol and speed.
Snyder would prefer the industry pay more attention to its ethics than have parental and professional organizations lobbying legislators and members of Congress.
His words carry a lot of authority because he has headed the federation for over 15 years. However, he has announced he will retire in November 2008.
