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Controversial Issues in Advertising: The internet, children, tobacco and alcohol

Controversial Issues in Advertising: The internet, children, tobacco and alcohol

Scott Heraty

Ethics and Social Justice

Siena Heights University

November 25, 2019

Controversial Issues in Advertising: The internet, children, tobacco and alcohol

Advertising is a very important tool for companies or groups. When used for its natural

purpose it can educate a group of consumers about the benefits of a particular topic. This topic

could be a consumer product or political issue or any myriad of issues. The purpose is to change

the target viewer of said advertising into agreeing with the message. A company’s goal is to

convince you that you need their product. A political candidate will try and convince you that

they are the right choice for your vote. The mere existence of advertising is to sway opinions.

This truth lends itself to controversy. When one party tries to convince another of something that

can cause blow back. Any link in the chain of advertising can find issue with the message or

means of relaying that message. This paper will show research of this subject and its effects on

groups, especially children. As a father and healthcare provider, I find this subject very pertinent

to our social structure and education.

Internet advertising

In the age of social media and internet marketing, advertising on the internet is a valuable

tool for companies and groups. Metadata on internet users provides advertisers with valuable

information when developing target marketing. I have experienced this first hand when

marketing an ad on Facebook for a target market. I can advertise to a specific region, age range,

income level, interests, education level, etc. However, advertising in the internet age must

quickly grab one’s attention. When scrolling through social media advertisers must find a way to

make you stop and watch. They may make their ad specifically controversial to draw attention.

Ads that are controversial can be defined as “advertising which aims to shock or offend
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Controversial Issues in Advertising: The internet, children, tobacco and alcohol

audiences through the violation of norms, and such ads are perceived by audiences to be

provocative or obscene” (Moraes & Michaelidou, 2017). These ads main goal is to shock you

into looking. Many ads have to categorize themselves so some parental controls can block these

from showing up when children are using the internet. These ads also get play on platforms such

as YouTube. This drives the urge to become controversial so that they will get the added

attention of press and free YouTube views. Pepsi and Burger King created ads years ago that

placed them in the crosshairs of controversy. Pepsi’s ad depicted an act of suicide and Burger

King advertised a search for “virgin” Whopper eaters. The backlash created press and free

advertising in the coverage. These instances through negative press can actually boost a

company’s bottom line (Zerillo, 2008). Super Bowl ads are very commonly designed to quickly

grab your attention. They also get many people to search them out on YouTube and rewatch

them. This saves a company ad dollars. Social media giants such as Google and Facebook

attempt to be neutral by providing means for users to advertise their wares and views. However,

estimates have shown that digital advertising is now surpassed television and radio in ad dollars

(Nicas, 2017). This attracts further scrutiny on these advertising methods.

Advertising to children

YouTube is a common means of entertainment for younger demographics. It is a free

service that allow children to watch videos on many different topics without delay or channel

accessibility. However, advertisements played before, during or after the videos are most often

something completely unrelated to the subject. This can cause a child to see an advertisement for

a horror movie prior to watching a toy unboxing video. This has affected my children in the past.
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Controversial Issues in Advertising: The internet, children, tobacco and alcohol

They may have permission to watch a particular video but the content I cannot control, the ads, I

may deem inappropriate. Advertisers feel the need to be controversial or edgy on these platforms

to attract the youth-based demographics that frequent them (Allossery, 1999). Advertisers also

use deception techniques to advertise to kids. Kids have a more limited understanding and

education level naturally so advertisers don’t have to work as hard to sell them. Deceptions can

include stereotyping, insufficient comparisons, playing on children’s emotions, unfamiliar terms

and phrases, and distracting attention (Barry, 1980). This is a common practice when advertising

to kids. An ad may show a table full of toys and the children in it are very excited. The deception

may lie in the fact that the ad is for only one of those toys. The cost seems fair to the child

because they think they are getting it all but bound to be let down when they only get the single

action figure. They may not have the cognitive ability to understand the person reading “other

toys sold separately” very quickly at the end of the commercial. In addition, ads can portray

sexual role stereotypes. These stereotype driven ads can have belittling language related to its

message. It can relay that only males or females are meant for this product. It can do this by only

including one gender in the advertising or using language specifically speaking to one gender.

Many researchers have given advertisers data to find the ideal times and content to pair their ads

with (Macklin & Kolbe, 1984). Research has shown that pairing ads with known characters kids

trust can be beneficial for advertisers. The younger demographics will relate and trust what a

favorite character is telling them. Data has shown that this can also be a malicious way to

deceive children. The controversial practice of using cartoons to advertise tobacco has been

abolished. Cartoons can also give children a false sense of a desired outcome. A cartoon can

make it appear to children that a certain food can give them super strength or abundance of
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Controversial Issues in Advertising: The internet, children, tobacco and alcohol

energy. It can also make basketball shoes seem to have the ability to increase your jump by feet

(Stuart Van Auken & Subhash, 1985). These unrealistic and leading ads can be unfair and

deceptive to children. The stakeholders are many when it comes to advertising product to

children. From companies, to suppliers to YouTube channels that review and use these products.

The stakeholders rely on maximum sales and positive press. If deceptive techniques are used to

advertise to kids then this can affect the whole chain of stakeholders.

Advertising of tobacco and alcohol

Advertisements for tobacco and alcohol are regulated but incredibly effective. Ad execs

attempt to relay a sense of fun to be had by using their products. The younger demographics also

respond to this message. More has been done to curb these influences on youth. Also, anti-

smoking campaigns have made an impact. Researchers have found that ads showing the effect of

health long term do not resonate with kids. They believe they will live forever. Advertising the

anti-smoking message to kids is difficult to do. Each child may find a different reason important

enough to stay away. Ads using individuals’ kids respect or look up to has found success. If an

athlete explains why he or she chooses not to smoke a child has a higher chance of resonating

with that due to a similar sport they may play (Ono, 1995). Alcohol advertisements attempt to

use humor and fun to attract younger people. Showing their product associated with youth-

oriented music and activities attracts multiple age brackets. Adults wish to remain young and

younger people want to enjoy the good times depicted in the humorous ads. Young people derive

from these images and scenes what they believe the experience of alcohol is before ever drinking

any. They perceive the positive influence it has on the actors and they believe it will also be
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Controversial Issues in Advertising: The internet, children, tobacco and alcohol

positive for them (Waiters, Treno, & Grube, 2001). These advertisements have been regulated

over the years. Much has been done to address this issue. Socially, when these ads to cross the

line a negative response can bring these companies in check. The shareholders include the

customer and they have the ultimate voice. If a company does not present itself with malice and

deceptive intent the consumer can boycott the product and create negative press.

Conclusion

Many advertisers use deception and illusion to sell their products. It may be intentional or

simply the use of hard researched data. The fact is that advertisers know they have minimal time

to attract the maximum number of potential consumers. Stakeholders are many in these

companies. Execs, suppliers, retailers, internet influencers, and consumers all have an equal role

in the success of a product. Advertisers have to quickly influence the consumer into loving what

they have to offer. I believe that all advertising is persuasive by nature but it is subjective that is

may be deceptive or controversial. What may offend one consumer may be acceptable to

another. In regards to my personal experience I know I have been persuaded to make many

purchases for good and for bad. My children have used to videos on YouTube, that I know have

been paid advertisements, to round out a Christmas or birthday wish list. As a stakeholder myself

I know all I can do is show my patronage to products and companies I believe in and refuse those

I deem deceptive.
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Controversial Issues in Advertising: The internet, children, tobacco and alcohol

References

Allossery, P. (1999, Apr 30). Broad future for controversial ads Every subgroup will have an

Internet channe of its own. National Post.

Barry, T. E. (1980, Winter). A framework for ascertaining deception in children's advertising.

Journal of Advertising, 9(000001), 11.

Macklin, M., & Kolbe, R. H. (1984). Sex role stereotyping in children's advertising; Current and

past trends. Journal of Advertising, 13(000002), 34.

Moraes, C., & Michaelidou, N. (2017, Mar). Introduction to the Special Thematic Symposium on

the Ethics of Controversial Online Advertising. Journal of Business Ethics, 141(2), 231-

233.

Nicas, J. (2017, Mar 22). Google Steps Up Effort to Keep Ads Away From Controversial

Content; Alphabet unit acts after backlash over ads displayed next to fake news or

terrorist videos including content that attacks or harasses. Retrieved from Wall Street

Journal:
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Controversial Issues in Advertising: The internet, children, tobacco and alcohol

https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.sienaheights.edu/docview/1879409201/5989BE931

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Ono, Y. (1995, Aug 30). Advertising: Teenagers tell which antismoking ads work. Wall Street

Journal, p. B1.

Stuart Van Auken, L., & Subhash, C. (1985). Children's perceptions of characters: Human versus

animate assessing implications for children's advertising. Journakl of Advertising,

14(000002), 13.

Waiters, E. D., Treno, A. J., & Grube, J. W. (2001, Winter). Alcohol advertising and youth: A

focus-group analysis of what young people find appealing in alcohol advertising. 28(4),

695-718.

Zerillo, N. (2008, Dec 15). Controversial ads can help boost a brand. U.S. ed, 11(49), 4.