ods. For Martin, the question is not whether advertising should exist, but
what forms and what ethical standards should it take.
Martin identifies two kinds of “harms” that follow from advertising. There are negative
consequences that follow from the product itself (it’s defective, dangerous, doesn’t meet
expectations) or those that come from the advertising (it features negative images,
exaggerates, is untruthful). Martin then provides a list of the harms advertising is
typically held responsible for.
* Advertising is misleading; it makes false claims for the products
* Advertising exploits women and minorities in ads; use of stereotypes,
sexuality
* Advertising encourages greed and excess in consumers
* Advertising encourages anti-social behaviour; for example, tobacco use,
excessive drinking, reckless driving
* Advertising encourages a “gambling” mentality; that is, people are
encouraged to buy things in order to win things, e.g., Publisher’s Clearing House
* Advertising teaches children to put pressure on their parents—the so-
called “pester power” phenomenon—to buy products, effectively turning children into
salespeople.
* Advertising presents false imagery that serves to create associations that
are not rational (e.g., popularity and a particular brand of car or shoe), and that address
our subconscious minds or evade our critical capacity, e.g., product placement
* Advertising takes up m英语论文网 【http://www.51lunwen.org】ental space that could be used for more valuable
things; “The objection in the case of these and other jingles and slogans is that they take
up permanent residence in one’s mind in the place of more important and significant
thoughts” (Martin, p. 180)
In Canada, legislation relating to advertising takes the form of the Competition Act and,
within the advertising industry itself, the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards. That
code, by which Canadian advertisers regulate themselves, is published in the Rogue’s
Gallery:
Martin describes what he terms the “dependency effect,” a concept originating with
Canadian-born economist and American icon John Kenneth Galbraith. The dependency
effect is the phenomenon whereby advertisers stimulate new wants among consumers,
thereby creating new markets where none previously existed. How many require SUVs
when a fuel-efficient car will do? Where does the preference for Cheese Whiz, Swiffers
or Coca-Cola come from? What physical need do cigarettes serve? An economy built on
endless growth requires an ongoing dialogue with human desire, converting our
fantasies, whims, and vanities into motives for consumption. As Galbraith wrote in The
Affluent Society (1958), manufacturers don’t merely produce goods, but using
advertising must provoke a craving for these goods even when there is no practical need
for them. “The fact that wants can be synthesized by advertising, catalyzed by
salesmanship, and shap
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