Saturday, September 23, 2006

Negative Advertising

With the world being consumer driven, the consumer enjoying the status of a king, the advertisors are trying to please all, with their idealistic ways. Today with the media shaping an important part in almost everything one does, the advertisers don't fall back on trying to sell their product. Impossible, idealistic, not relevant commercials can still be accepted but the ones throwing a negative streamline of thought are to be strictly prohibited.
The commercials are basically designed to please their target crowd but it being easy to manouver a childs mind, who plays the key role in the purchase of the FMCG s in a household, the ad-man lays prime focus at them. Last night I saw a commercial where a kid shoos his friends away from his lunch box by telling them that his folks dont use the washing powder which kills the germs on the vessel coz he did'nt want to share his food, now indirectly the message sent across to the vulernable minds is not to share one s food with his/her peers. Likewise all the virtual superhero characters who appear soon after one consumes the product to fight the kids enemies motivates the small hero to encourage violence. Agreed, a capitalist only thinks of his returns but this is not the way one promotes his line of products.
If there can be a panel to review a motion picture and a censor board to make sure it does'nt violate the preset rules of not displaying too much skin, not encourage bad( I disagree) habbit like smoking, not second the notion of violence why can't their be a board to put a check on the commercials. One should not only seive the advertisements by what is displayed but by the message it indirectly sends across to the youth.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

well, evrythn cant be the best... all i can say... theres sucky adverts, but then, theres totally cool adverts for hutch, airtel(gotten a bit montonous now), and of course, happydent...
lolz... if consumers buy stuff by their adverts, they buy it cuz they're impressed... stuff like what u mentioned, fail to make a positive impression, so a downside for the product... :D

Arindam said...

one must not forget the fevicol ads.