1. INTRODUCTION
Advertising is a means of communication with the use of a product or service.
Advertisements are messages paid for by those who send them and are intended to inform
or influence people who receive them, as defined by the Advertising Association of the UK.
Advertising is always present, though people may not be aware of it. In today’s world,
advertising uses every possible media to get its message through. It does this via television,
newspapers, magazines, journals, radio, press, internet, direct selling, hoardings, mailers,
contests, sponsorships, posters, clothes, events, colours, sounds, visuals and even people.
Mostly organization outsource to advertising industry in making advertising, agencies that
create the advertisements, media that carries the ads, and a host of people like copy editors,
visualizers, brand managers, researchers, creative heads and designers who take it the last
mile to the customer or receiver. A company that needs to advertise itself and/or its products
hires an advertising agency. The company briefs the agency on the brand, its imagery, the
ideals and values behind it, the target segments and so on. The agencies convert the ideas
and concepts to create the visuals, text, layouts and themes to communicate with the user.
After approval from the client, the ads go on air, as per the bookings done by the agency’s
media buying unit.
However those advertisements still need to be regulated with guidance, law and legal
enforcement must be implemented simultaneously, otherwise thing would become outlawed.
Albeit, despite the guidance from organisations such as Advertising Standards Authority
(ASA) firm still continue launch advertising campaign that provokes audience’s anger. While
there are rules that firms must abide, it does not stop them from producing advertisement
that are deemed unethical.
In addition, we also need to look into the culture element. Whereby, the geographical
differences among one to another may bring a different value from one another. On the other
hand, the characteristic of religion and history of the nation are all related to wards the belief
and the manner that is interpreted into the language that is practice and well accepted in a
specific area.
In the following pages, we would analyse three banned advertisement which has provoked
mixed reaction from the customer. RACISM, OVER-SEXUALITY, and UNHEALTHY
LIFESTYLE are among the unethical advertisements that are currently being practised by
firm.