The advertising world aims to hook the audience for selling products and services. The audience includes men, women, and children of different ages, races, cultures, gender, and ethnicity. Hence advertisers need to design ads that demonstrate decorum and decency. Nomin Boutchard says, “Obviously ads are reaching millions of eyeballs — those are eyeballs of men, women, people of all genders, children — so I think it’s very important to put out work that is respectful, and that represents all people.” (Women Are Changing the Advertising Industry, and It’s Leading to Better, More Authentic Ads, 2019). It is essential to analyze this statement to understand the responsibility that lies upon advertisers. Firstly advertisers must produce ads that family members can sit and watch together. Secondly, the ads must not discriminate against any race, gender or culture. The paper presents a detailed essay reflecting on the quote and expressing my insights and opinions on the necessity of advertisers to create respectful and representative ads.
I have experienced the opportunity to grow up in a jewelry conglomerate, and I have realized that gold ornaments and precious stones are God-given gifts that attract women and men. Some may think it is absurd that men also find jewelry attractive and fascinating, but my assertion is true and born from experience. Hence I believe that ads that showcase gemstones, jewelry, gold, and platinum are respectful and representative. By the term respectful, I mean ads must account for all the eyeballs that watch them. It is a common observation that jewelry ads showcase beautiful white women with blonde hair and blue eyes sparkling in gold and diamond jewelry to attract customers. Such ads are not acceptable because they discriminate against people of color. The question is, are only white women beautiful? Does inner beauty has no value? Why do advertisers focus on fair sex? The answer to these questions lies in the deep-rooted psychology of discrimination and implicit and explicit bias. The portrayal of a specific group in ads side-lining other population groups fosters the notion that beauty is a prerogative of a specific community. Probing deeply, it reveals that the advertisers want to stamp on the minds of the colored community that they can look beautiful only if they purchase this jewelry, meaning inner beauty has no significance. Another interpretation is the emphasis of ads on a specific community strengthens the existing notions of discrimination and encourages the development of perverse and decadent psychology.
Advertisements portray women as objects of sexual gratification. For example, ads that sell shaving accessories for men portray women who love to be with those men who use a specific shaving cream or razor. It implies that women have no choice of their own. They would be ready to establish relationships with anyone utilizing the advertised product. Such ads are derogatory to women and hence unacceptable because they demote women’s dignity. In the specific context, I would like to mention ads that sell body spray or other masculine products, which in my opinion, do not necessitate the portrayal of the female gender at all. However, advertisers believe that utilizing females as objects of attraction would entice men to buy their products or services. The point is that advertisers, in their desire to sell their products, forget that men, women, children, and people of different ages and population groups are watching their ads. Such vast and diversified viewership requires advertisers to design ads that appear attractive and exciting to all population groups.
The United Kingdom Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) states, “The use of harmful stereotypes can restrict the choices, aspirations, and opportunities of children, young people and adults.” (Reicin, 2022). The statement highlights the need for advertisers to be aware of portraying intentional or unintentional stereotypes. There are various tools available that advertisers can use to assess the inclusive quality of the advertisements. For example, the Cultural Insights Impact Measure (CIIM) examines the impact and effectiveness of cultural insights in ads. Collecting consumer feedback is an excellent method of understanding what consumers want to see in ads. For example, according to research, 54% of the sample population has stated that they do not feel they receive full representation in ads, especially online ads. Such surveys and research provide valuable information that advertisers need to pay attention to while creating ads to be respectful and representative. Beyond advertising ethics, the development of inclusive ads has a business case. For example, in their study on the effects of inclusion in advertising on Gen-Z, Microsoft specifically found that 70% of Gen-Z consumers are more trusting of brands that represent diversity, and 49% have stopped purchasing from brands that did not represent their values.
I have given the above examples to prove my point and authenticate Nomin Boutchard quote. It is pertinent for advertisers to shoulder corporate social responsibility. Advertisers need to understand that the impact of advertising is not limited to creating the desire to purchase an advertised product or service. It goes beyond harmful stereotypes that stigmatize specific races, gender people with disability and create dissension in society. The dominant group that already controls power dynamics feel more solidified when advertisements target vulnerable population. Specific is the case of children and the manifestation of harmful stereotypes. The children advertising review unit Caru focuses on deterring problematic behavior in the uniquely vulnerable children’s space and issues guidelines for advertising companies to refrain from negative social stereotyping prejudices, and discrimination in Child-directed advertising. These efforts and institutional endeavors would reap benefits when advertisers accept their responsibility and work towards creating advertising ideas that shall eliminate bias and emphasize inclusion at every advertising stage.
I have a jewelry conglomerate background, and I understand that advertising is essential to increase business. I am not against advertising as a means to augment business. I propose a serious discussion between clients, advertising companies, and consumers. They must engage in strategies that assist in creating respectful and representative ads. I understand that it is necessary first to identify a problem with the lack of representation in advertising. Accepting the existence of a problem will help canalize energies to focus on devising pertinent strategies to eliminate bias and harmful stereotypes. Moreover, after policy formulation, there is a need for strict laws and legal regimes that shall ensure the effective implementation of the portrayal of an inclusive ideology in advertising.
It is safe to conclude that the media and advertising world is expanding by leaps and bounds. There are TV commercials, print ads, online ads, and other communication mediums. In the fast-paced world of Internet where men, women and children are glued to smart phones advertisers have an added responsibility. The expansion of social media platform and the uninhibited increase of ads on social media requires advertisers to be careful in producing ads that do not prove harmful to the psychology of young people and children. Advertisers have responsibility to cater to society and think beyond mere selling of products. The growth of media industry and the advertising world derives legitimacy from the fact that they serve the customers, hence the production of controversial ads that are not respectful and representative would not prove profitable to the advertising world. The advertisement’s reach is expansive and extends beyond geographical and cultural barriers. Given such a vast impact, advertisers need to think pragmatically, endeavor to create inclusive ads that shall represent every age and culture, and prove engaging to men, women, and children.
References
Reicin, E. (2022, April 14). Council Post: Pursuing Best Practices For Representation In Advertising. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesnonprofitcouncil/2022/03/15/pursuing-best-practices-for-representation-in-advertising/?sh=749ad24c1576
Women are changing the advertising industry, and it’s leading to better, more authentic ads. (2019). VCU News. https://news.vcu.edu/article/women_are_changing_the_advertising_industry_and_its_leading_to