Advertisement beyond facts

A set of artificial teeth dipped in a half-full glass mug of water shivers whenever a refrigerator's door is opened, allowing release of chilly moisture directly towards the mug. An old man to whom the set of teeth belongs sits nearby wrapped in a shawl. Here is an advertisement that makes quite an impression on its viewers. It is conceptually powerful and equally well made. Now what it is all about? The advertisement does not promote any brand of artificial teeth, although it could ably do so. Instead, it is the chilling capacity of the refrigerator that has been made the subject matter here.
It is nothing less than hilarious. The element of exaggeration has been wittily and deliberately made the focal point. Viewers have no difficulty to accept the excessive claim in good humour. Obliquely the merit of the particular type or brand of refrigerator has been extolled. It is more like a comedy where comic characters take the liberty of portraying character flaws through exaggerated acts. There is hardly anything wrong in such comical displays.
However, not all companies or business houses should or have the right to adopting similar ploys in advertising their products. But the fact is that manufacturers of different products are in a mad race to promote their goods and in the process they could not care less for ethical issues in relation to running advertisements in the media -print or electronic. For example when a few malted milk drinks claim that regular drinking of those help children to grow three or four inches taller than those children who do not sip the drink, how vacuous it sounds! But who cares?
Such outlandish claims are made in various advertisements in defiance of rational arguments, logic and all commercial norms. How can the companies establish their claims? Where is the scientific evidence? In advanced countries, such promotion of foods and beverage without any practical proofs is impossible. An advertisement on a malted drink produced for Sri Lanka was inadvertently circulated on a TV channel in the United Kingdom some years ago. It was a scandal indeed! Not only was the ad promptly sent to the cold storage but also a probe was ordered to find those responsible for the accidental mess-up.
Fairness cream is yet another culprit to have made bizarre claims. Both local and multinational companies are no different here from those known as street mountebanks. When products are edible or applicable on body -skin, hair, finger nails, eye brows or eye lashes -however sophisticated those may be, they cannot be equally good for all. It is because of this pharmaceutical companies differentiate between patients even when the medicine is meant for external application. There are written warning for certain types of individuals and above everything else the message is clear that without qualified physicians' prescription, the medicine cannot be used.
In this connection lawsuits against the Johnson & Johnson talcum powder in the United States make an interesting legal subject on the issue. A woman's family (because she died before the settlement of the case) in Missouri was awarded $72 million in a civil suit for link between the use of the powder and her ovarian cancer -her cause of death. Another case of the same complaint brought against by another woman was however rejected recently by the court.
This shows the sensitivity of developed society to products' malfunction. Exaggerated claims by advertisements are not entertained particularly when human health and environment are concerned. In Third World countries, though, no such check and balance are maintained concerning industrial and farm products. The repercussion over the led content beyond acceptable limits in turmeric powder exported by a local company in Bangladesh to the USA forced withdrawal of the consignment from US market.
No wonder, poor and underdeveloped countries have become a dumping ground of products containing harmful agents. When the countries themselves do not maintain a high standard of food and other consumer goods safety measures, others take advantage of legislative loopholes and lax enforcement regime. Advertisers also feel no compulsion to restrain their promotional drives to any limit. They go for attractive and alluring advertisements instead of ensuring and/or improving the quality of products.
Both local and multinational companies plough outrageous profit from commodities not of the same standard of the original available in markets of developed countries. This is a kind of business insincerity that should be dealt with strictly. With better purchasing power of its people, Bangladesh now has earned the right to standard commodities. Mere eye-catching advertisements should not distract consumers from their main objective.
The government too needs to be pro-active in this regard. There is a need for reasonable regulation of advertisements. An organisation after the model of the US Food and Drug Administration should be developed in order to determine the quality of products. The Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) falls far short of playing the role required for the purpose. To curb outrageous claims by advertisers, there should be set rules as well. After all, it is the health of the nation that must receive the highest priority.
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