The significance of truth, fairness, taste and decency inadvertising was discussed by four of the industry’s leadingprofessionals Thursday evening at a lecture sponsored by TheWall Street Journal.
Kirk Carr, director of advertising services for The WallStreet Journal, served as moderator and began the lecture byemphasizing that advertising ethics is “an issue of greatimportance and urgency.” Commercial speech is a matter that”we all have a stake in,” he said. “The public atlarge has a large stake in not letting advertising losecredibility.”
According to Carr, truth, fairness, taste and decency arepromises to consumers that advertisers are obliged to honor. Hesaid that if they follow through with these, advertisers can expectan engaged and trusting audience in return.
Carr went on to introduce the three panelists: Wallace Snyder,president and CEO of American Advertising Federation, JamesGuthrie, president of the National Advertising Review Council, andDiane Fannon, principal of The Richards Group.
Snyder discussed the topic of fairness in advertising. He saidthat he believes that advertising should strive to inform consumersof their options, and that while many agencies try to be ethicalwhile doing this “there have been problems.”
He says that his definition of fairness is “doing theright thing in the marketplace according to the circumstancesencountered.” According to Snyder, ethical advertising isfair if it is directed at the appropriate audience, and if theaudience can understand the message being communicated.
The issue of marketing to children was the main point ofSnyder’s portion of the discussion, specifically the topicsof alcohol and advertising unhealthy foods, which contribute tochild obesity.
He also mentioned that the industry has a strong self-regulationprogram, which helps insure that children are treated fairly andencourages corporations to respond to customer concerns. He saysthat in this case, many restaurants have done so throughrestricting portion sizes, despite the fact that the government didnot require this action.
Guthrie followed with a discussion of truth in advertising. Hesaid that advertising institutions such as the National AdvertisingDivision, the Children’s Advertising Review Unit, and theNational Advertising Review Board monitor truth in advertising, anddo so without the aid of the Federal Trade Commission.
“Most major advertising agencies have decided to work outtheir differences through our systems,” he said. However, ifan agency decides not to do this, they must go to the federalcourts.
Guthrie believes that self-regulated advertising bodies are thebest route for all. He said that this system is beneficial to thegovernment because it essentially takes the load off theirshoulders.
He finished by saying that self-regulation in the advertisingindustry is the way to “swing the pendulum back”towards truth and consumer trust.
Fannon, the lecture’s final panelist, began herexamination of taste and decency in advertising through commentingon the ads that ran during the Super Bowl this year. She said,”We get one chance a year to show our best and brightestideas…but we did the opposite. We were silly andsophomoric.”
According to Fannon, “It’s nearly impossible”to create good advertising without offending someone. She said,”It’s not black and white, it’s a million shadesof grey.”
Fannon said that she strives to keep in mind the words of BobGarfield: “Sometimes in advertising it is justified to offendthe few to impress the many, but it is never justified to offendthe many to impress the few.”
She also introduced some maxims of her own. “If you knowyou’re going to offend people, know why…and decide ifit’s still worth it…If you’re going to use shockvalue, make sure that it’s relevant…If you’regoing to offend people using old clichés, make sure thatit’s fresh and makes people think.”
When asked what advice she has for students going intoadvertising, she said, “Be persistent. Be persistent if thisis a career that you want…just always put the ideasfirst.”
