Beyond concerns over privacy and psychological influencing, marketers are forced to walk the tight line between funny and insensitive advertisements. As I discussed last week, in this technological age, consumers have no issues calling out companies that have put out a distasteful advertisement. Should marketers do more though? Should they strive not only to not anger consumers but also to set an example for consumers?
Snapple recently put out an informative ad announcing its new mango tea flavor. In the ad, Randy (a man with a sunburned mango for a head) is being teased by three of his coworkers (including Steve) based on his appearance after coming back from vacation. Randy gets angry and aggressively destroys the gift that he brought back for Steve. If taken literally, a viewer can come to the conclusion that teasing others and failing to control one’s temper is acceptable. While made to be funny and not taken literally, there is no doubt that kids will be seeing this commercial. Knowing this, do we owe it to the future generation to create funny commercials that also set a good example?
Taking it a bit further, in the past year, we have seen a rise in bullying across the nation, very likely due to the current political climate. Unfortunately, the rise in bullying and harassment is not only constrained to children but extends to adults as well. Do you think that marketers have a moral responsibility to their viewers, both child and adult, or is a marketer’s only concern to increase sales? If you believe that they have a moral responsibility, can you think of a good way to get this ad’s message across while also being respectful of moral standards?