The advertisement industry is often perceived as a billion dollar industry designed to trick consumers into buying things they don’t have any real use for.It is true that a lot of advertisements corrupt people’s lives and lead them into a downward spiral, for example- The advertisements for fast food chains use many photos of appetising food to attract consumers to their respective establishments however the negative impact of eating this food is largely ignored.
A lot of companies also make false claims in their advertisements in an effort to woo customers. For example- A certain yoghurt company claimed that their yoghurt had more nutritional benefits than any other, something which was completely untrue. Alongside, a lot of companies now use the process of “greenwashing” or claiming that their products are environment-friendly, when they are not. This manipulates the customer into thinking that they are doing their bit to save the planet but in reality the only entity benefiting in these transactions are the company owners.
However just like a coin, this industry has two sides. This industry helps millions of people earn their livelihood and although some adverts do employ appealing images, colours, humour and making false claims to manipulate their target audience into buying their product, some adverts are ethical in nature, designed to merely convince the audience of their products’ great features.
Alongside, now there are various governmental organisations which monitor advertisements and penalise companies for making false or misleading claims. So, it would be incorrect to assume that the advertisement industry is farce or in the disinterest of people. In conclusion I would say that consumers should keep an open mind while watching all adverts but be careful in order to avoid being manipulated in any way.