The Dirty War of Advertising
Beenish Qureshi
The Dirty War of Advertising!
Since the times are changing we are moving on to modernization. Our advertising industry is also incorporating aspects some of which are culturally misfit. However, let’s not be too critical as they are catering to the new generation. They only show what we want to see. But taking that point forward, are we forgetting the concept of socially responsible marketing? While I teach Marketing to my students, in all of my chapters from Philip Kotler, the last slide has tips and ideas on how important it is to be socially responsible when it comes to marketing. While international marketing is moving towards ideas that save world... we in Pakistan are making advertisements that not only promote unethical ideas but we have no policies to actually ban such ads.
Now most of you are thinking this happens all over the world. Why am I only pointing Pakistan? Well because I care about the people of Pakistan and marketing because being a marketer I have a responsibility to guide when I work with different companies. So my concern is that why are the other marketers forgetting this point. What exactly am I talking about? Well… wait a bit cause I have examples to quote and show. So, as the advertising war becomes more competitive, advertisers are implementing unethical standards and calling it creativity. “Show the people modernization and they will accept it.” Now here our audience is at fault because none of us actually complain. Right now my blog post will be read by many but only a few would agree. Reason? Modernization? Acceptance of unethical practices for fun and entertainment!
According to some people I know they say it’s being open minded that counts…but isn’t media one of the influential aspects of Pakistan? Don’t they have a responsibility to show content that is good for society rather than negative? Enough of my blabbing let me prove this to you with the example below. I want you guys to watch this ad carefully. We have all seen this ad many times on TV but I am sure only 5% of the people actually noticed what all is wrong here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ke5izmaO4vY&feature=related
I won’t even mention the dating part being promoted here. But how about the secretary scene which leads to “office sold” so is this promoting sex to get your way through any workplace? Doesn’t that in anyway sound odd or offensive to you?
Secondly, the last scene shows it’s okay to smoke and deceive your mom after having “freshup”. Is this acceptable by all? Aren’t we actually teaching the new generation that it’s okay to smoke and lie? Yes in real this is how it happens. However is it okay to publicly promote this through your brand? Endorsing something that is wrong makes it worse doesn’t it?
So after watching this ad what message would the youth receive? It’s okay to smoke, flirt and use sexual appeal in office to get your way. And here this ad has been running for quite some time on our televisions and none of us have complained. Yes including me… I am writing this after my students presented this ad to me for their assignment, which was to bring in unethical ads. However I am writing this post in a naive hope that agencies would start to think on what they are promoting.
Apart from the above freshup ad we have all seen campaigns being made by Fair & Lovely and now we have Fair & Handsome. Where they are openly promoting the concept that to be successful you have to look beautiful and fair. Yes no matter how much we object to this; such campaigns have been running for decades now and none of us have been able to stop them. But my question is why not? Other examples of bad advertising are: Zong & Ufone war which everyone has seen on Facebook. Ufone promoting free late night calls.. encouraging misuse of cell phone. Do you remember ads like “Did you macleans your teeth today” this ad was so successful it’s remembered till date. A wholesome ad conveying the message and creating top of mind. So what’s the excuse now? Is it limited creativity?
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Regards,
Beenish Qureshi
TazeenAkhtar
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We must raise this issue of unethical ad campaign. At least we must have a courage to say wrong a wrong.
Rasheed Ahmed
Senior Producer
Express News.
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Sanaullah Bhutta
Dear Rahsed Ahmad,
AoA,
Thank for the nice comments.I appreciate your thinking and wish that we should serious fight against these evils.
Best wishes,
Sanaullah Bhutta
Faisal Kamal Pasha
--
Naqi Akbar
- Creativity seems to have departed. it is only plagarism.
- the sexist content seems to over-ride; the reason being that the people who have been in the advertising business are here just to spend lives out of any restriction. It is something like making smoking and drinking synonamous with the generation of ideas; while the fact of the matter is that ideas are the outcome of observation and perception. a mimick does not boozes but observes. a copy writer planning a campaign can only be target specific if he studies and observes the intended audience. you cannot sell google earth capability of your mobile browser to a farmer seeking market infor for his product; rather it has to be something else.
- For that very reason even if you have to sell a fan, veiled cleavage is must!!!!!!
- people with command over the languages ( vernacular, mainstream and mother tongue) seem to be on wane;
- so any nephew or niece can be the creative director.
- that preception is also reflective in the subjects we deal in our soaps; entangled in ilicit liasions or traditional saas bahu fights.
aqeel treen tareen
AOA
i think u r absolutly right,we should have our accountibilty system who may filter those unethic adds which r causing our youth indulging an ammoral activities,but here a question in the race of progress and competition who will care of ethics and our tradation,?
allah hi hm pe reham farmay
aqeel ahmad treen
editor
daily universal isb
www.dailyuniversal.com.pk
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haide...@expressnews.tv
----- Original Message -----
From: Beenish Qureshi [mailto:beenish...@gmail.com]
To: pressp...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Sun, 14 Mar 2010 20:28:12 +0500
Subject: The Dirty War of Advertising
*The Dirty War of Advertising!*
*By: Beenish Qureshi*
**http://beenishq.blogspot.com/2010/03/dirty-war-of-advertising.html
Since the times are changing we are moving on to modernization. Our
advertising industry is also incorporating aspects some of which are
culturally misfit. However, let?s not be too critical as they are catering
to the new generation. They only show what we want to see. But taking that
point forward, are we forgetting the concept of socially responsible
marketing? While I teach Marketing to my students, in all of my chapters
from Philip Kotler, the last slide has tips and ideas on how important it is
to be socially responsible when it comes to marketing. While international
marketing is moving towards ideas that save world... we in Pakistan are
making advertisements that not only promote unethical ideas but we have no
policies to actually ban such ads.
Now most of you are thinking this happens all over the world. Why am I only
pointing Pakistan? Well because I care about the people of Pakistan and
marketing because being a marketer I have a responsibility to guide when I
work with different companies. So my concern is that why are the other
marketers forgetting this point. What exactly am I talking about? Well? wait
a bit cause I have examples to quote and show. So, as the advertising war
becomes more competitive, advertisers are implementing unethical standards
and calling it creativity. ?Show the people modernization and they will
accept it.? Now here our audience is at fault because none of us actually
complain. Right now my blog post will be read by many but only a few would
agree. Reason? Modernization? Acceptance of unethical practices for fun and
entertainment!
According to some people I know they say it?s being open minded that
counts?but isn?t media one of the influential aspects of Pakistan? Don?t
they have a responsibility to show content that is good for society rather
than negative? Enough of my blabbing let me prove this to you with the
example below. I want you guys to watch this ad carefully. We have all seen
this ad many times on TV but I am sure only 5% of the people actually
noticed what all is wrong here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ke5izmaO4vY&feature=related
I won?t even mention the dating part being promoted here. But how about the
secretary scene which leads to ?office sold? so is this promoting sex to get
your way through any workplace? Doesn?t that in anyway sound odd or
offensive to you?
Secondly, the last scene shows it?s okay to smoke and deceive your mom after
having ?freshup?. Is this acceptable by all? Aren?t we actually teaching
the new generation that it?s okay to smoke and lie? Yes in real this is how
it happens. However is it okay to publicly promote this through your brand?
Endorsing something that is wrong makes it worse doesn?t it?
So after watching this ad what message would the youth receive? It?s okay to
smoke, flirt and use sexual appeal in office to get your way. And here this
ad has been running for quite some time on our televisions and none of us
have complained. Yes including me? I am writing this after my students
presented this ad to me for their assignment, which was to bring in
unethical ads. However I am writing this post in a naive hope that agencies
would start to think on what they are promoting.
Apart from the above freshup ad we have all seen campaigns being made by
Fair & Lovely and now we have Fair & Handsome. Where they are openly
promoting the concept that to be successful you have to look beautiful and
fair. Yes no matter how much we object to this; such campaigns have been
running for decades now and none of us have been able to stop them. But my
question is why not? Other examples of bad advertising are: Zong & Ufone war
which everyone has seen on Facebook. Ufone promoting free late night
calls.. encouraging misuse of cell phone. Do you remember ads like ?Did you
macleans your teeth today? this ad was so successful it?s remembered till
date. A wholesome ad conveying the message and creating top of mind. So
what?s the excuse now? Is it limited creativity?
Faisal Kamal Pasha
--
Shahzad Nawaz
Our ad business industry is run by people who are very much Pakistanis. Their ethos, values and ethics are no different than an average joe out there!
Agencies who thrive and survive on making undisclosed 'premiums' are ever-willing to bend-over to get the campaign spendings approved- often than many times, paying the client in kind and cash as well.
It is another one of the unnoticed cartels where women and wine are part of the mannerism to win the client over.
Agencies do not have any code of conduct, essentially since like Politics, the ownership to the companies is family-owned as well! Most business owners are mere bean-counters who care less to the affects an ad can cause...
The professional representatives of the ad biz, the APG and the PAA are least interested, like you rightly said, "all in the name of creativity".
The war for account (business) pitches takes importance over societal norms or responsibilities. You either do as be told, or go out-of-business.
Majority, decide to stay in business.
Advertising like most disciplines is raw and under-served, take stock of majority adverts and the shallow 'big-idea' seems to be carefully garbed with technical and CG (computer generated) make-over. Deficiencies are washed out by way of exploiting women as sex symbols... and many an aspiring models perfectly willing to play the damsel in a nationwide campaign.
Education, Road and Ad systems are the easiest to form an opinion about a nation (and in our case, a country).
Your points are well made, and sadly much like everything else will add on to things going wrong in this country!
Shahzad Nawaz
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