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The social and ethical aspects of advertising are as dynamic and controversial as any of the strategic or creative elements of the process. What is socially responsible or irresponsible, ethically debatable, politically correct, or legal? The answers are constantly changing. As a society changes, so too do its perspectives. Like anything else with social roots and implications, advertising will be affected by these changes.
The social and ethical aspects of advertising provide some of its most memorable and defining moments. Consider these episodes in the history of advertising:
.In the late 1800s, patent medicine advertising dominated the media. Elixirs and medical devices promised cures for everything from paralysis to spinal irritation and malaria.
. Warner-Lambert began running advertising in 1921 that claimed Listerine mouthwash could prevent colds and sore throats. In 1975, the advertising was judged to be deceptive, and the firm was required to spend $10million on "corrective advertising" to undo the misimpressions created by the claims.
. In 1990, an ad for Volvo automobiles showed a monster truck with oversized tires rolling over the roofs of a row of cars, crushing all of them except a Volvo. Volvo, which had developed a reputation for building safe and durable cars, had rigged the demonstration; the Volvo's roof had been reinforced, while the other cars' roof supports had been weakened.
. In 1994, General Nutrition agreed to stop making unsubstantiated claims for more than 40 products, including Sleepers Diet, which the company claimed would help users lose weight while they slept. The company also agreed to pay a $2.4 million civil penalty.
Advertising history includes all sorts of social, ethical, and legal lapses on the part of advertisers. However, advertising has also had its triumphs, financial as well as moral. Whether justified or not, criticisms of advertising can be naive and simplistic, often failing to consider the complex social and legal environment in which contemporary advertising operates.
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