Sir: Last week’s Dispatches, Tricks of the Junk Food Business (C4, 2 June), reopened the discussion on the ethics of advertising. The fact is that the tools we have at our disposal are extremely powerful, from a deep understanding of behavioural psychology through to the ‘advergames’ the documentary focused on, and they can be abused in the wrong hands. I think Rory Sutherland said it best: “If you don’t find yourself having an ethical debate about the effects of advertising, you’re not doing it right.”
Increasing regulation has lessened the opportunity to push unhealthy products but the market will always move faster than the regulators. At the end of the day, it comes down to a personal or agency choice. Last year’s Cannes winners showed there is a strong social conscience within the industry and I, for one, hope this continues to build.
Chris Baker, head of strategy, FCB Inferno
No comments yet