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ethics matter

Eihab Abu Taha, general manager, Sabco Art, takes a candid shot at a few issues in advertising

What’s a good ad?
If an ad makes a customer stop for a moment and look at it, that’s good advertising. An advertisement that can get a share of the consumer’s mindshare for a moment and put across the brand or product’s message in an instant is a good piece of communication. An adman can use a variety of tools like intrigue, shock or humour to achieve this goal.

Is advertising creative?
Absolutely, but it all depends on how you define creativity. Creativity is a widely misunderstood term. It is not about a great-looking visual, it is about engaging a viewer from the target audience.

Is it fair to judge and award advertising?
If you look at it from the industry’s point of view, it is good to be recognised as it shows that an agency or a person has the core values and skills to add value to the advertising industry. An award-winning copywriter or creative person can use his talent to come up with a piece that works in the marketplace. It is a known fact that certain ads are created keeping a Cannes or Clio award in mind. If these were shown to clients, one can be sure that most would be turned down. Something that wins an award may not be successful in the market and vice-versa.

Is advertising unethical as it creates artificial needs?
Going back to the origin of advertising and its evolution, one finds that it all started with the need to communicate the availability of products to customers. To adlib a cliché, advertising gives you choices to make an informed decision. While advertising can make an impression, it will be wrong to insult the intelligence of a customer by saying that their buying decisions are determined by ads. It is unethical if an ad makes false claims about a product’s attributes – then it is definitely crossing the line.

Should there be restrictions on advertising?
While there should not be restrictions on advertising, as it exists for a purpose, there should be parameters within which agencies work. For example, in this market we do not mention our competitors by name, but there are ways to allude to a rival. That’s clever advertising. Admen need to respect the sensitivities of the culture within which they operate. On the other hand, advertising is a medium that is constantly evolving, so it will be unfair to expect an agency to use communication tools from a different era. Advertising is constantly pushing the boundaries of the marketplace, but there are times when the market may push back advertising as it may not be prepared for something radical.

What about surrogate advertising?
When you try to overcome certain restrictions on a product (e.g. liquor or cigarette) by placing your brand on a different product line like prêt à porter with the intention of selling your core product, it is surrogate advertising. That is not justifiable. These restrictions are imposed to protect certain sections of the population that may be impressionable, like teenagers or kids, and companies must respect and operate within these norms.