Advertising and Ethics

Are everybody who wants to sell a products immoral? So, are we as graphic designer too?

Due to Paulas Post, I found a really interesting article from the graphic designer Mokhonoana which deals with the ethical question I was thinking about. Here are an extract from his blog www.mokokoma.co.za:

The art of persuasion predominately use psychology and it is the biggest tool used in luring people in to buying things, mostly things they don’t really need, esp. in advertising. With just a few seconds of air play, an ad can leave you feeling like a failure, unattractive, a not-so-cool piece of flesh and a nightmare to the opposite sex.

Think of this type of advertising as peer pressure from ‘peers’ who like you for the depth of your pocket, not who you are.

Now this is where the questioning of morality should come into place.

Is it morally wrong to exploit human desires? The answer to that will depend on your beliefs. And since the subject matter is subjective, do we continue forcing our take down the other person’s throat or do we excuse the morally right or wrong debate and argue based on the law of the land, if we are to conclude the argument fairly?

Is it illegal for advertisers to exploit people’s insecurities and desires?

Are all businesses that sell to consumers evil? And isn’t the selling that qualifies an organization as a business? If so, are we as creatives also evil because in someway those businesses are our consumers? Are we less evil because our products are intangible, because we’re less manipulative in attracting our clients to hire us or is it because after work we go home and help those we’re hired to lure consume the advertising?

What is immoral? and whose definition do we judge against? The seller or those sold to?

Is the exploitation of human needs and desires an art to be celebrated or something to be ashamed of?
Is “making a living” and “financial security” dangled to creatives so they unconsciously play puppet to the so-called evil corporations?
Is the “business world” bigger than creatives? And how feasible is the “anti-selling silly things like cat food” ideology?

In my opinion consumption can't be seen as completely negative. Consumption creates jobs. Without this, many people wouldn't have a workplace. A good economy rests on consumption and consumption rests on employed people which can spend money. 


I suppose that everybody of us has bought something sometimes that wasn't needed. But if we wouldn't buy this it wouldn't be existing so many workingplaces. 


Are we independently-thinking humans? Or does good advertising manipulate even this?





Mokhonoana, M, 2010, between ethics and daily bread: A creative´s moral dilemma [online]: Pretoria, South Africa. Available from: http://mokokoma.co.za/between-ethics-and-daily-bread-a-creatives-moral-dilemma/ [no date]