Ethics in Advertising

Tuesday marks the day we talk about ethics in strategic communication. This is always a fun topic. Conveniently, the textbook comes with a 6 DVD set of example ads. This makes the class a lot less boring. So when I go to preview the ads for Tuesday, imagine my surprise when every example ad features something good by the industry. There are public service announcements and the like.

I mean, come on, who portrays this industry as holy? If you cannot make fun of advertising, who can you make fun of? This left me in a quandary, so I began searching my own personal library for examples of ads that may leave women with a body image problem. Then I checked my adage daily e-mail and saw the headline Lust for Bust.

It seems that the marketers for Milwaukee's Best Light have put together an interactive game wherein the point is to stare at a woman' s breasts without getting caught. If she catches you, then her brother (allegedly your buddy) squishes you with a Beast Light can and you are "busted." Play for yourself.

Now I am the last person to make some sort of normative stance. In fact, I may be the worst person to complain about this since my research says that sex = arousing; arousing = memory; so use more sex. But it still amazes me to see these things in 2005.

I feel as if I live in some sort of opposite universe. I mean, seriously, people half died to see Janet Jackson's nipple during the Super Bowl, but the economic trail proves that when no one is looking, we're all playing some version of Lust for Bust. Porn drives the Internet, and many other industries, too. Don't believe me? Watch this documentary online.

So why do we pretend? It fascinates me. So I do research. Stay tuned.