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Part Seven Special Topics and Perspectives
Belch: Advertising and
Promotion, Sixth Edition
Exhibit 22-7 Abercrombie
& Fitch’s catalogs
have been criticized over
the use of sex and nudity
Exhibit 22-8 Bijan often
uses whimsical and
controversial ads
VII. Special Topics and
Perspectives
22. Evaluating the Social,
Ethical, & Economic
Aspects of Advtising &
Promotion
© The McGraw−Hill
Companies, 2003
with a shopping mall Santa portrayed as a pedophile, and nude photos. The retailer
promoted its 2002 Christmas catalog with an advertisement across the plastic covering
stating, “Two-hundred and eighty pages of sex and Xmas fun” (Exhibit 22-7). 30 A
few years ago officials in four states threatened or pursued legal action against the
company, which responded by implementing a policy of carding would-be-buyers of
the catalog to ensure they are at least 18 years old.
Another company known for its whimsical, and sometimes controversial, ads is
Bijan. The fragrance marketer’s ads attracted a great deal of attention a few years ago
when it decided to forgo the tall, thin, glamorous supermodels typically used in fragrance
ads and use very large, naked women instead. The company’s founder, Beverly
Hills fashion maven Bijan, defended the ads by stating that they were his homage to
artists such as Rubens, who used full-figured models (Exhibit 22-8).
Many advertising experts argue that what underlies the increase in the use of shock
advertising is the pressure on marketers and their agencies to do whatever it takes to
get their ads noticed. However, critics argue that the more advertisers use the tactic,
the more shocking the ads have to be to get attention. How far advertisers can go with
these appeals will probably depend on the public’s reaction. When consumers think
the advertisers have gone too far, they are likely to pressure the advertisers to
change their ads and the media to stop accepting them.
While marketers and ad agencies often acknowledge that their ads push the
limits with regard to taste, they also complain about a double standard that
exists for advertising versus editorial television program content. The creative
director for Abercrombie & Fitch’s agency argues that there is a double standard
and hypocrisy in the shock advertising debate: “When advertising uses
sex, everybody complains—when editorial does it, nobody cares.” 31 Advertisers
and agency creative directors argue that even the most suggestive commercials
are bland compared with the content of many television programs.
Ethical Perspective 22-1 discusses the process by which the standards and
practices departments of the four major networks review the thousands of
commercials they receive each year and try to resolve issues regarding their
tastefulness.
Advertising and Children
One of the most controversial topics advertisers must deal with is the issue of
advertising to children. TV is a vehicle through which advertisers can reach
children easily. Children between the ages of 2 and 11 watch an average of