On page 85 review the scenarios in Application question #8 a-e and explain what, if

anything, you see as issues with these proposed ads. Submit by Monday Feb 26 class time.

8. Analyze the following hypothetical advertisements. Decide whether you think each example
contains an ethical problem. If you think there is an ethical problem, explain what it is. If you
don’t think there is an ethical problem, explain why.

a. Television commercials for “Commander Oort” action figures. The commercials, which
run each Saturday morning during the “Commander Oort” cartoon, show the toys flying
as Commander Oort does in the cartoon, although small print on the screen states that
they don’t actually fly.

Children are especially vulnerable to deceptive advertising, the television commercial

runs during a time where a child would more likely be the viewer instead of an adult.
Children often have difficulty differentiating between fantasy and reality, and since the
commercial shows the toy flying children may believe that the action figure will do the
same once it is in their home even though there is small print that states they don’t
actually fly. Therefore, I do believe there is an ethical problem with this situation because
of children’s vulnerabilities. As well laws have been passed to protect from deceptive
ads. Those laws prohibit creators and producers of a children’s cartoon from advertising
products related to the characters of that program during the broadcast.

b. An ad for plastic surgery in a popular magazine for teenage girls.

Teenage girls even though are not children are still naïve and would believe a claim they
read in the magazine for plastic surgery, which is probably advertising them to enhance
their bodies to look more like their favorite celebrity. However, the company has the right
to the first amendment, and they’re not falsifying information, over exaggerating,
advertising at a different price as listed. As well, teenage girls are old enough to be able
to differentiate between deceptive advertising. So, in conclusion even though they may be
slightly manipulative trying to make teenage girls believe they can look like their favorite
celebrity, I don’t think as a company they are doing anything ethically wrong by
advertising in a teenage magazine.

c. An ad for a dance studio in a magazine for senior citizens. The ad highlights several
benefits of dance lessons, including companionship, improved health, and relief from
loneliness.

The ad highlights several benefits in the commercial which is making a statement about
the product or service offered without any information or evidence to show how and why
these benefits happen. Therefore, I believe this company may be falsifying their
information to become more appealing to senior citizens, which would make this
commercial unethical because a senior citizen would most likely join for the benefits over
the opportunity to dance.
d. Beer commercials that air during prime time on a popular cable TV music video channel.

I believe a beer commercial airing during prime-time cable TV is not unethical, because
it isn’t falsifying information, marketing at a lower price, over exaggerating, or
advertising directly to younger aged persons they are more vulnerable to certain
advertisements. Therefore, the company is simply just playing an ad where the most
number of viewers will have a chance to view it.

e. Television and print commercials for a bank that issues credit cards, advertising a 0
percent interest rate for the first six months. No mention is made of what happens to the
rates after that time.

Because there is no print or even fine print as to what happens to interest rates after the
six months, I would classify this ad as unethical. Even though the consumers may have a
short-term advantage from the 0% interest rates, the bank would most likely be the
beneficiary in the long run since they left out what happens after the six months they
probably would hike the interest rates up. But since the 0% looks so appealing and the
consumers see no negative effects from in in the commercial they are more likely to go
and get issued a new credit card without knowing about what happens after six months.