Ethics in Advertising

It is hard to say whether advertisers are right or wrong when targetting children, or teens. From one standpoint, I think that in recent years advertisers have been smart to start targetting children and teens rather than adults, because even though the adults are the ones with all the buying power, children and teens are very influential in what thier parents buy. I know as a kid I got whatever I wanted, in fact, I still do. And when I was younger I would make the biggest fuss if I didn't get what I wanted. And this is the same for many children; they will nag their parents and make a fuss until they get what they want. I think it is a smart move for the companies to target children and teens in their ads, it increases sales, and broadens the market. However, I also think there is a line that advertisers should not cross. Marketing toys to children and teens is a lot different than promoting alcohol and cigarettes.

When it comes to advertising alcohol and cigarettes, advertisers should be careful not to target children or teens. I think it is unethical to put a print ad promoting alcohol in a teen magazine. Teenagers are not old enough to buy the product, and it is illegal for parents to buy this product for their teenager. There is a reason for the age limit. Teenagers are not responsible enough to drink alcohol (as a teen I would have disagreed with this arguement), they do not know their limits, they are too immature, and many teens use the drug for fun, to be cool and popular. Teenagers do not understand the harmful effects of alcohol, and I do not believe that we, as a society, educate our teens enough when it comes to the topic of alcohol. And advertisers are feeding off of this. Advertisers make drinking alcohol seem so exciting...and many advertisers try to link drinking alcohol to living an ideal lifestyle...too many times I have seen beautiful people in expensive clothes, lying by a pool, drinking alcohol. I am not going to lie, as a teenager this type of ad made me want to drink alcohol, it is very intising.
All teenagers see when these types of ads are on tv commercials or in teen magazines print ads is FUN! Many do not even consider alcohol a drug...they do not see the addiction problem they could face, or the memory loss, or the increased aging rate. So, for one I do not think it is ethical for advertisers to promote alocohol to kids and teens, the other thing is that I think parents and schools need to educate kids about alcohol and other drugs at a younger age...and educate them better.

And advertisements for cigarettes should be limited too...I haven't seen a cigarette ad on television for many years...but advertisers should be careful with print ads for cigarettes just as alcohol. Even though there is now the Surgeon Generals Warning on packages and in ads, it still does not mean anything to teenagers. The only thing that matters is if smoking makes them look cool, and when smoking is tied to movie stars and extravagant lifestyles...teens are going to try and get cigarettes and teens will smoke. And again, just as with alcohol, I do not think that children and teens are educated enough about the effects of smoking. Tobacco and Nicotine are drugs too...and smoking cigarettes is also very addicting.

It is hard to debate whether advertisers go too far to push their product...especially when it comes to alcohol and cigarettes. As I said, if kids and teens were better educated about these drugs, there would be less of a chance that they would fall into being a victim of the drugs. However, when advertisers tie these drugs into fantastic, fun, extravagant lifestyles, the education of the products only goes so far.

Being "cool" rules over anything.