I was recently asked for my opinion on whether adland should have its own code of ethics.
The reason this topic came up wasn’t because a bunch of people started questioning what they were doing to society [though I do know a lot of people who do feel this way, of which I am most definitely one of them], but because a few people felt it was unfair that some brands were able to do – or show – stuff in their ads that other markets didn’t allow and so it automatically gave them an unfair advantage at the ‘award’ shows.
I know … I know … it’s sickening isn’t it.
Anyway, here’s what I said:
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While some people think most ad agencies would happily sell their collective grandmothers for a major new business win [the truth is only 37.35% of them would] … the reality is adland already works within a number of highly controlled and regulated standards.
US Advertising professor, Jef I. Richards, sums it up best [albeit with more of an American focus and a slight edit of his whole quote]:
“There is a huge difference between journalism and advertising: Journalism aspires to truth. Advertising is regulated for truth. I’ll put the accuracy of the average ad against the average news story any time.”
However there is a major difference between law and ethics which is why a question that is increasingly being asked is whether the advertising industry should have their own code of ethics.
Well, I’d say on an individual basis – many agencies do.
Of course whether they are ethics the masses would always be in agreement with, is a different matter … however there are definitely ‘lines’ certain agencies aren’t willing to cross that go beyond the government enforced policies.
Should there be an industry wide set?
In theory it would be great but then in theory I look like Brad Pitt because I have 2 eyes, a nose and a mouth … however, as in most things in life, reality tends to cast a different light on things which is why I don’t see how it can happen.
Who would make the decision?
Who would be able to find acceptable common ground when cities [let alone countries] have completely different views on a whole range of subjects and issues … and that’s before you even take into account what is legal in one country could be tantamount to declaring war on another.
And even if someone managed to get through all that, we’d then have to suffer the internal bickering.
Seriously, do we honestly think an agency who handles, for example, a fast food brand would happily accept a ban on advertising to children?
Of course not … and if the industry felt it was ethically wrong to sell overly aspirational imagery, we’d all grind to a standstill.
As much as having a universal code of ethics sounds great in theory, I think it is best to leave it to the laws of the individual land and the ethical standards of the individual agency.
It might not be perfect, we might still sometimes try and find ways around it, but I don’t think we are capable of doing it properly or fairly on our own.