Financial Times

Point of View
Adolescent victims of ignorant advertising
By Dinesh Ranasinghe
The tussles between powerful advertising industry bodies/regulators have left the ultimate objective of good governance of advertising in the lurch. Advertising ethics in Sri Lanka are deteriorating rapidly whilst advertising institutions brawl over awards schemes. What is unseen is the hidden messages put across to the community.

The fact that children are increasingly the target of highly sophisticated marketing campaigns for food and drink to toys capturing a child’s attention today could mean a loyal consumer tomorrow, and the competition for them would be intense and a worthwhile investment.

Though the situation today in Sri Lanka is not that severe, it may be tomorrow. Apart from directly/consciously targeting children, firms advertise via TV with immoral supplementary messages. The Newdale yoghurt advertisement, where a boy scares his sister to make off with her cup of yoghurt, sends a message of coning their siblings for selfish motives. Also another advertisement of the same product reinforces a similar motive, this time the victim is a boy’s mother. The boy deceives his mother to take away the goodies. Also automobile lubricant Servo ad, where the cricket idol Murali offers a lift to some stranded junior cricketers encourages youngsters to get in to a stranger’s car without much deliberation or investigation.

Though the former is directly targeting children the latter is targeting adult automobile owners. Nevertheless, how the target audience differs, immoral or distorted messages are conveyed to children. Nevertheless there are advertisements that should be promoted. The Maliban campaign where sharing, respect for parents, respect for teachers, etc is tagged with “yahagunayen idiriyata” (succeed morally) is emphasized along its products, is praiseworthy. The Atlas pen advertisement where smoking is identified as a habit of the brainless is also exemplary because the core message does not disrupt a youngster’s psychology.

Undoubtedly advertising influences people and is considered as the most powerful promotional tool. The advertising agency and the marketer should be extra cautious in advertising and should give extra thought as children are exposed to it whatever the target-audience and subsequently a victim of misinterpretation.

Thus the ad industry should recognise the imperative role of advertising and responsibility to the society. The freedom to advertise brings special responsibilities, especially towards children.

These responsibilities include protecting and helping children to understand and interpret advertising in the context of their daily lives. The laws/rules should be framed to ensure that advertisements are legal, decent, honest and truthful and do not mislead or cause harm (eg -alcohol, cigarettes). The rules should prohibit advertisements that cause serious or widespread offence which was seen during the recent elections. The Consumer Affairs Authority or an advertising regulatory should ban such advertising.

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