Advertising is a means for popularizing a commodity or a service. The experts in the field of advertisement focus on making a product highly attractive for alluring the consumers to buy it, regardless of its need.
Most of the consumers buy a product purely based on how good they feel about the ad.
The world today is very competitive in nature and everyone believes in the ‘survival of the fittest’. Owing to our technological prosperity, we have choices, more than we can count. So the only way to make a product catchy is to go for an impressive advertisement. While doing so, many ad-makers forget how responsible they are to the society.
It is true that an ad has a lot of positive factors, but the negatives have greater effect.
Here are a few prominent negative effects of the ads -
- Hidden or unrevealed ad costs- We, the consumers are often flattered as ‘Kings’ by giant companies. We all know that it is us, the consumers who ultimately pay for a commodity. All the chargers for making a finished product are paid by us. But how many of us know that we pay for all these stupid ads as well? Each and every ad has this hidden cost, which is quite illogical.
- False claims- Almost all the ads put forth false claims of the targeted product. The creators may point to the product’s unique features, but in a much exaggerated way. They resort to this kind of deceiving for increasing the sales and thereby the profit. As for sure, they would never disclose any of its negative factors to us. Since all the ads are done perfectly, we would never sense any fault either. Moreover, the companies on no account feel guilty of lying to its faithful customers.
- Negative conditioning- We are in a way, being conditioned by these majestic companies, just like ‘Pavlov’s dog’. To hike their sales, they advertise massively and we gradually get conditioned in the bad way. When we get to see an attractive ad for long, we gradually start liking and believing it. The result is that we ultimately become addicted to products that we don’t actually need.
- Setting false trends- Advertisements set false trends in the society. Consumers get a wrong image of social dignity and acceptance. They proliferate that without a certain product; we would be considered substandard in the society. When consumers feel that certain products can make them more dignified they would naturally go for it.
- Degradation and demoralization of art forms- Art forms have lost its morale since ads makers began using them in a twisted way. Ads are no longer creative exhibitions of ideas but pure auctions of it. Monetary benefit is the prime concern as if nothing is happening in the world other than buying and selling of commodities.
Do we really need to suffer all this torture by actually ‘paying’ for it? To be frank, we are also in a way responsible for this agony. Over consumerism has blinded our senses and we sprint into action without thinking intensely. So next time, before diving into an ad, think twice- ‘Do I really need this thing and is it worth my money’?
September 20, 2010 at 10:33 am
I have been part of advertising agencies for many years and know for sure that what you are saying here is not totally untrue…but all the blame cannot be put on the agencies alone. The clients, the manufacturers of the product are most of the times those who want their product to be highlighted in such a way that it looks better than the competitiors. When an ad is made, there are a number of options given to the client and believe it or not the most honest opinion is the one that is rejected by the client and mostly he goes for the buttered and polished version of his product.
Having said that there are also number of clients and advertising agencies like Ogilvy for one who make sure that the product is shown is advertised in a way that it lures the viewer to buy but does not have false claims.
advertising today indeed has become very showy, shadowy and false…but that’s also because of the number of channels, increasing competition, increasing consumerism…..I remember how we had to come up with unique ideas for the same pack of chips, the same bottle of oil and the same bottle of shampoo to make it look better…but we did try and put forth the best that the product had to offer even if it meant a different smell from others…..:)
September 20, 2010 at 2:37 am
:- promotion of products: without proper ad consumers would never be able to come to know about the products.and even if they,still they wont be keeping it at par with more promoted products.
:-Brand recognition: the more the brand is advertised the more people would have knowledge about it.Promotion is kind of quality assessment by consumers now with the kind of brand equity ads create.
:-Creativity: some ads are so creatively made that consumers just cant stop appreciating.even if we consider the “shubh arambh” ad of Cadbury’s..the ad is so simple in execution, realistic and creative.Its kind of expressive art.
There are zillion points which speak in favour of advertising and of course against it too.
i would like to conclude by quoting Ogilvy “Advertising is only evil when it advertises evil things.”..and as they say everything is fair in love and war and its certainly not love amongst the competing brands.
Thank you!
September 22, 2010 at 7:29 pm
September 22, 2010 at 7:44 pm
Your views on the positive side of ads are relevant indeed. I have mentioned in the post too that ads definitely have positive triggers and the only thing I wanted to emphasize was that negatives have wider impact.