“Actual facts go incomparably farther than superlative exaggeration towards convincing anyone of the truthfulness of a proposition.”
Daniel Starch (qtd. by Armstrong, 2010, p.146)
Once in a while each of us bumps into ads which overstate the product’s qualities or effects it makes. “Magic” creams, “never-breaking” devices, and other “miraculous” things promising to lose wait, make money, or become younger in no time – that’s just to name a few.
Some of them are obviously deceptive. Others are examples of puffery, or extreme exaggeration based on subjective opinion that makes the statement unreasonable (Parboteeah & Cullen, 2013). Here should be mentioned “world’s best cup of coffee”, “the ultimate driving machine”, etc., aiming high but providing no concrete evidence.
Moreover, some commercials are built as puffery over puffery, e.g. “our pizza tastes better than the best pizza in the world”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Ttde_4Eu6gU
Apparently, such things should be avoided in advertising business. Neither ethical nor legal aspects of these creative works are going to be discussed here, because most of consumers have enough common sense to see the fine line. Instead, let’s focus on those ads which contain ‘not-that-bad’ exaggeration but still fall under the category of ethical grey. Are there only a few of them, or much more than we realize? More important, in what cases exaggeration in advertising can be appropriate or justified?
First of all, exaggeration sometimes negatively affects not only consumers, but advertiser’s reputation too. Some ads are misleading, like Bayer Aspirin positioned as preferable to other brands but mostly containing… aspirin; others cause indirect harm, like “cavity-fighting” chewing gums that contain sugar (Parboteeah & Cullen, 2013). Advertising to children is a special category, where exaggeration should be avoided in any shape or form. Even though in this area creativity is a must, the statements like “this juice is a superheroes’ favorite” sound manipulative. Also, it is important to remember that children are especially sensitive to lies (Gunter, Oates & Blades, 2004).
On the other hand, are there any cases when exaggeration is “good”/acceptable? The answer is “yes” if the ad is creative but ethically harmless. For instance, exaggeration can be a part of a comic situation, or a visual demonstration of product’s benefits. There is a vivid example of the successful use of exaggeration from Cheez-It, visually comparing “the actual taste” with “the actual size”.
According to Aaker & Biel (2013), commercials of this category assume that the viewers will understand the hyperbole, and that they will recognize and enjoy the exaggeration as an advertising convention. Such ads imply that the metaphor or hyperbole would be understood by the audience and not taken literally.
Therefore, while avoiding ethical greys, exaggeration can be a common practice in advertising. Here we come to an important point – it is ok to exaggerate in cases when an ad:
– Does not distort the product’s characteristics or qualities
– Does not overestimate the product’s effects or benefits
– Doest not involve inappropriate objects/subjects/groups of people
– Does not affect anyone’s health or reputation
– Is presented with humor
– Highlights the key qualities of products/services in a creative way
– Is not manipulative or deceptive.
Anyone to add to this list?
References:
Aaker, D.A. & Biel, A. (2013). Brand Equity and Advertising: Advertising’s Role in Building Strong Brands. Psychology Press.
Armstrong, J.S. (2010). Persuasive Advertising: Evidence-based Principles. Palgrave Macmillan.
Gunter, B., Oates, C. & Blades, M. (2004). Advertising to Children on TV: Content, Impact, and Regulation. Routledge.
Parboteeah, K.P. & Cullen, J.B. (2013). Business Ethics. Routledge.