Advertisements have definitely gotten a little out of control over the years. We see ads filled with provocative messages and crude language; which is increasingly becoming an issue. The government cannot possibly keep track of all these regulation issues, although they try. Our society must be willing to take on some of this responsibility and self-regulate, to a certain extent, advertisements that are presented to the public. Advertisers should be able to determine what is acceptable for their target audience, and take appropriate action to keep their ads in line with those standards.
“Industry self-regulation constitutes a form of private government to the extent that peers, rather than outsiders, formally control, or at least dominate, the establishment and enforcement of self-imposed and voluntarily-accepted rules of behavior.” Social groups need to have the decency to look out for the interest of others; especially when advertisements, to an extent, determine social perceptions.
I don't think it's fair for companies to allow their consumers to be subjected to inappropriate advertisements. What has happened to the good 'ol days of standards and guidelines for advertisements? Modern day society has become engulfed with over the top EVERYTHING. Violence, sex, humor, and profanity have been taken to a whole new level. Standards that used to be acceptable for our grandparent's generation are now thoughts of the past. Advertisements reflect what social standards (or "real life") are supposed to look like. This being said, advertising campaigns should take some responsibility for their work, and self-regulate their messages more carefully. This will not only save government officials time and save tax payers money, but also help protect society from inappropriate messages.
Resources:
http://www.allbusiness.com/marketing-advertising/111551-1.html
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Good entry! It seems that Advertiser's have forgot how to believe in themselves and truly believe in the products they are advertising. They need to gain awareness and change society's behavior patterns without deceiving them for their own gain! If Advertisers were honest to their word, they would themselves, weed out bad products and have a better self-image represented to the public.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that advertisements lately have crossed the line, but I feel with some messages like PSA's that maybe they should cross the line so people are more aware of the issue - like abuse, drugs, etc because sometimes these issues aren't so "cute".
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