Sample Violations of Code of Ethics in Advertising PDF

SAMPLE VIOLATIONS OF CODE OF ETHICS IN ADVERTISING JOU21 ADVERTISING CLASS Insights: As we can see, this magazine advertisement was created to promote alcohol. It contains a double entendre that is highly sexual., as well as demeaning to women and promotes a false beauty standard. In order to impr...

SAMPLE VIOLATIONS OF CODE OF ETHICS IN ADVERTISING JOU21 ADVERTISING CLASS Insights: As we can see, this magazine advertisement was created to promote alcohol. It contains a double entendre that is highly sexual., as well as demeaning to women and promotes a false beauty standard. In order to improve the ad, we could go an entirely different direction by portraying the feeling of when drinking the product, instead of using women as attention bait. Code of ethics violated: “6. Advertisements should not depict or exploit persons as sex objects and should not carry any sexual double entendres.” Insights: this magazine ad is rude because it targets a specific minority and isolates them, promoting a stereotype about them and using said stereotype for profit. The picture also depicts a ‘typical’ Jewish man with light hair and a big nose. Code of ethics violated: Section 2, Code 2 DISPARAGEMENT “ Neither should advertisements directly or indirectly disparage, ridicule, criticize, or attack any natural person or groups of persons-” Insights: This specific ad objectifies women and promotes spousal violence or domestic abuse. This is heavily implied by how the two people are blocked in the scene (him standing over her shoulder) and her black eye and disheveled hair. Code of ethics violated: Code 11 “Advertisements should not exploit or encourage physical, verbal, or psychological violence or the use of deadly weapons whether achieved through real or fictional situations.” Insights: The ad’s blocking is problematic because it implies that the whiter your skin, the more desirable you are. This is shown through the blocking of the black model right next to dry and ‘undesirable’ skin, while the white model stands next to fair and supple skin. Code of ethics violated: Section 2, Code 2 DISPARAGEMENT “ Neither should advertisements directly or indirectly disparage, ridicule, criticize, or attack any natural person or groups of persons-” Insights: While this magazine ad was meant to be funny, it had the opposite effect. Its demeaning to women, and promotes unhealthy personal values. So much so in fact that this particular ad was pulled out after heavy public backlash Code of ethics violated: Code 4 “- Presentations which are offensive to contemporary standards of decency or morals shall not be allowed, even if understood only by a part of the audience.” Insight: This billboard ad, although well meaning, uses another person’s suffering to create a shameful message about teenage pregnancy. While education is important, this may discourage teens from seeking help with accidental or rape pregnancies. In other words, the message is clear but could have been handled with a lot more finesse. Code of Ethic’s Violated: Section 2, Code 2 DISPARAGEMENT “ Neither should advertisements directly or indirectly disparage, ridicule, criticize, or attack any natural person or groups of persons-” Insight: This billboard ad is trying to advertise the quality of a telecommunications company, but the image used for promoting the message is entirely unrelated and sexually vulgar. The image depicts a woman seemingly naked and in the middle of an orgasm Code of Ethic’s Violated: “6. Advertisements should not depict or exploit persons as sex objects and should not carry any sexual double entendres.” Insight: This billboard advertises law services, but also promotes stereotypes that lawyers are liars and often twist facts, which is exactly what this man is implying to do for you. This also promotes an unhealthy idea that criminals may run from the law as long as they hire a good enough lawyer, instead of subjecting to the truth Code of Ethic’s Violated: Code 4 “- Presentations which are offensive to contemporary standards of decency or morals shall not be allowed, even if understood only by a part of the audience.” Insight: This billboard ad promotes an unhealthy body image idea, especially by using the quote “You can never be too thin.” This is heavily reminiscent of pro anorexic movements back in the 2000’s when this exact quote as extremely popular. Code of Ethic’s Violated: Code 4 “- Presentations which are offensive to contemporary standards of decency or morals shall not be allowed, even if understood only by a part of the audience.” Insight: This billboard ad uses women in order to attract attention, aka selling sex, in order to promote the use of their services. However, women in this sense is entirely unrelated to the service being promoted which is law or insurance. Code of Ethic’s Violated: “6. Advertisements should not depict or exploit persons as sex objects and should not carry any sexual double entendres.”