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Belch: Advertising and
Promotion, Sixth Edition
VII. Special Topics and
Perspectives
22. Evaluating the Social,
Ethical, & Economic
Aspects of Advtising &
Promotion
G-stringed lap dancer straddling a seated man in a nightclub. The tagline of the ad read
“In Canada, the average paycheck rarely lasts two weeks. It’s more like 20 songs.”
The president of the company noted that he was taking a page from the beer companies
that made swimsuits and stilettos standard marketing fare: “It’s hard to be in this
business and not look at the success of beer advertisers and argue that it doesn’t
work.” 27
Liquor companies are often criticized not only for their advertising but for some of
their other promotional methods as well. For example, in 2002 the Boston Beer Co.,
which markets the popular Samuel Adams Boston Lager brand, was criticized for its
involvement with a “Sex for Sam” radio promotion that encouraged people to have
sex in various public places to win a trip to the company’s brewery. The promotion
was run in conjunction with a talk-radio station whose shock-jocks provided listeners
with detailed reports of couples’ sexual activity. The controversy resulted in a boycott
of the company’s products in some bars in Boston, where the company is headquartered.
Although the company denied that it was aware of the exact nature of the radio
promotion, the chairman of Boston Beer issued a public apology for his company’s
participation. 28
Shock Advertising With the increasing clutter in the advertising environment,
advertisers continue to use sexual appeals and other techniques that offend many people
but catch the attention of consumers and may even generate publicity for their
companies. In recent years there has been an increase in what is often referred to as
shock advertising, in which marketers use nudity, sexual suggestiveness, or other
startling images to get consumers’ attention. As discussed earlier in the chapter,
shock advertising is nothing new; companies such as Benetton and Calvin Klein have
been using this tactic in their ads since the 1980s. However, a number of other marketers
have been criticized for using shock techniques in their ads as well as in other
promotional materials. 29 For example, clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch has
been criticized numerous times for the content and images used in its quarterly catalogs,
which have included sex tips from porn star Jenna Jameson, a spoof interview
© The McGraw−Hill
Companies, 2003
Exhibit 22-6 This Airwalk
ad was criticized for being
suggestive and symbolizing
sexual submission
757
Chapter Twenty-two Evaluating the Social, Ethical, and Economic Aspects
of Advertising and Promotion