I was talking to one of my former students about advertising a few weeks back. I was shocked to find out he was going to make a career of it; advertising that is. I was shocked because I considered him the salt of the earth, and still do btw, and considered advertising something akin to a mental virus.
But after reconsidering, something I have to do a lot of, I've come to a new perspective thanks to my former student and the humorous P G Wodehouse.
The New Advertising, P G Wodehouse
"In Denmark," said the man of ideas, coming into the smoking room, "I see that they have original ideas on the subject of advertising. According to the usually well-informed Daily Lyre, all 'bombastic' advertising is punished with a fine. The advertiser is expected to describe his wares in restrained, modest language. In case this idea should be introduced into England, I have drawn up a few specimen advertisements which, in my opinion, combine attractiveness with a shrinking modesty at which no censor could cavil."And in spite of our protests, he began to read us his first effort, descriptive of a patent medicine."It runs like this," he said:Timson's Tonic for Distracted DeadbeatsHas been known to cureWe Hate to Seem to Boast,butMany Who have Tried It Are StillAliveTake a Dose or Two in Your Spare TimeIt's Not Bad StuffRead what an outside stockbroker says:"Sir--After three months' steady absorption of your TonicI was no worse."We do not wish to thrust ourselves forward in any way. If you prefer other medicines, by all means take them. Only we just thought we'd mention it--casually, as it were--that TIMSON'S is PRETTY GOOD."How's that?" inquired the man of ideas. "Attractive, I fancy, without being bombastic. Now, one about a new novel. Ready?"MR. LUCIEN LOGROLLER'S LATESTThe Dyspepsia of the SoulThe Dyspepsia of the SoulThe Dyspepsia of the SoulDon't buy it if you don't want to, but just listen to a few of the criticisms.THE DYSPEPSIA OF THE SOUL"Rather ... rubbish."-- Spectator"We advise all insomniacs to read Mr. Logroller's soporificpages."-- Outlook"Rot."-- PelicanTHE DYSPEPSIA OF THE SOULAlready in its first edition."What do you think of that?" asked the man of ideas.We told him.
Advertising is one of those things we take for granted and put up with and sometimes appreciate when it's done well. "There are somethings money can't by, for everything else there's Mastercard," is especially insidious because it's so good. There are intangible goods that bring unutterable joy. The insidious part is that you're supposed to go on a spending spree with easy credit to get there.
Can we do advertising in a way that honors the imago Dei in all of us? I hope my student and others prove it is so. I'm sure there are already examples out there, but I just can't think of any right now.
7 comments:
Matt, advertising is just a subset of its larger entity, sales. And just as with sales in general, advertising can be done with integrity and glory to God.
Think of it this way: there are those salesmen who will tell you whatever you want to "close the deal" and there are those who will work diligently to present to you the product you are really looking for, based on your needs, preferences, etc.
So it is with advertising. Is it possible to present products honestly, in such a way that those who need to know about them will get word about them in a timely way and with all of the facts they need? YES. Do most ads fulfill that function today? NO-- but abusus non tollit usum.
I'll give you a real example of how this might look for the coming generations including your (our?) former student: it is possible now, given the information that can be "mined" through Facebook, e-mail servers, etc. for highly-customized ads to be presented to you. That is, they can show you ads for products and services that rank very high (statistically) in terms of the likelihood that you will actually care about-- and even want to know about-- such products and services. Suppose such ads were, in fact, presented to you, on an opt-in basis; e.g., you agree to grant limited and anonymous access to your data, in return for advertising that will show you products and services that you are genuinely interested in?
Because it is opt-in, you could "turn it off" when you aren't actually looking for a product or service (thereby reducing the temptation toward green, envy, and discontent that ads often provide). And because the ads are customized, you could be introduced to products and services that meet real needs in your life that you didn't know were available, or bargains on such products, etc.
The X-factor, of course, is having advertising professionals and agencies that are willing to offer such services as "opt-in" and that are willing to offer ads that are truthful, and that embody modesty and integrity. Can we expect unbelievers to offer such services? Who else but Christians could be such salt of the earth?
It sounds to me like your student has found the ideal place for being the salt of the earth that you have already known him to be.
Thanks Ed. You have won me over, or should I say "sold me."
I think your use of the Latin absus non tollit usum was customized.
BTW, he is "our" former student. Maybe I can get him to add his two cents.
Lukas here. I dare say that Ed has made excellent points that reflect my own views on the ethical implications of a career in advertising. In few cases do the inherent activities of a vocation preclude the possibility of practicing it morally and in a Godly manner. Advertising, I think, is not one of them.
However, due to the hyperbole allowed in advertising communications, it can definitely be challenging to draw a line between what is dramatizing a product and what is misrepresenting it. And many ads have little to do with the product itself--companies use 'image' advertising to link positive associations to their product regardless of actual function. This is why advertising is so often looked at as 'all style, no substance.' But if advertising really could manipulate people to such a high degree as some critics claim, why wouldn't it be used to change the general public's (negative) perceptions about advertising itself?
As to the online behavioral ads that Ed also mentioned, it is definitely something to watch for in the future. I think they can be useful and effective, but at the same type we will need transparency so that consumers can trust in the process, and know both how and where their information is being collected and used. Opt-ins are always nice, but unless the FTC requires such then the current information being collected in this area will still be collected. Of course, it already is anonymous to a certain extent because it is not based on individuals but IP addresses.
This is already longer and more random than I anticipated, but I would like to make one last point. Product development and advertising today are built on the basis of consumer and market research, and aim at specific target audiences. A lot of honest, hard work goes into advertising campaigns, and while it is possible to object to the tactics employed, advertisers are not a bunch of hacks that will do anything for your money (mostly). Advertising is a necessary cog in our capitalist wheel that allows businesses to disseminate information about their products and services, and the best way to remain in business is to fulfill current consumer needs, not create new ones.
Thanks for you comments Lukas.
Can you cite some good examples of the kind of advertising you're talking about?
Good points, Lucas, and I understand what you mean. Seeing sexually-alluring models hawking things like food and yard tools are an obvious abuse of the concept of advertising. Here again, though, I appeal to the realistic expectations we might have: should we expect pagans to adhere to moral/ethical standards that they don't share?
Matt, I'm curious what you mean that my Latin was customized...?
It was customized to persuade me to buy your arguments (which I do) because I'm a Latin teacher.
I know that we should redeem advertising from pagans, but can you guys give me a good example of someone doing it right today?
I'm not sure what good advertising looks like, since I don't know if I've seen much in the mainstream media (though I usually try not to pay attention unless it's something I'm already in the market for).
I like the apple adds b/c they're funny, make apple look cool, and pcs not so much. But I'm not sure they're giving me much valuable info.; only entertainment.
If we include adds for Christian products, it strikes me that it is usually aping mainstream sensationalism. E.g. "If you buy this book your life will be changed!"
Have you guys ever heard of Addbusters?
Matt: since you brought up Apple, I think the "there's an app for that" ads for iPhone are good, honest presentations of the value of the product. Not boastful, nor mocking the competition, but simply presenting an aspect of their products in a practical way. The "testimonial" ads when the iPhone first came out were similar, I thought.
I wish I could point to a company or individual and say, "here's a Christian who is doing this exactly as it should be." But there's a sense that the nature of it is such that you won't see it, so much, when it's being done right.
When I was studying lighting as a technical theater major in college (early on), it became clear to me that, if a lighting designer is doing his job, no one in the audience will notice most of the time. It's when you mess up that they usually notice.
So it is with advertising, it seems like to me. When Christians take up the job of advertising and do it well, folks will largely notice that they are better led to products that they want, and that they are well-informed about them-- not so much that the ads themselves are so outstanding or that they people who produce them become celebrities.
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