Focus: Advertising content

The recent controversy surrounding a perverted sexual ad by an international fashion house brought to the fore, once again, the question - how far can you take the war of publicity?

There are no ready answers, but as the edges of morality get blurred further, the majority of our readers feel that there is a greater tolerance towards "sexual display" in the media.

However, this does not necessarily reflect the attitude of society. These ads are created partly because of the popular notion that "sexualisation" sells. Share your views at readers@gulfnews.com.

Most advertising these days breaks moral codes.

The moral codes were broken years ago in advertising; nowadays they do it more often. I feel it could be due to Western influence, such as the movies. Such advertisements are worrisome because children get easily influenced by these and at times they either are inspired to do the same, be it the actions or the manner of dress — everything gets affected.
– Jeetendra Nambiar
Dubai

No, I think it is fine. As far as I am concerned, I like the print advertisements that I have seen so far. I don't watch much television, so can't comment on that.
– Hilda Fernandes
Dubai

Yes, I think these days we do see advertisements that break moral codes and are done mainly to get attention. Such ads also appeal to teenagers, which is another reason why we see more of them.
– Rahul Parpia
Dubai

I think it is there, although a lot of it is unnecessary. I think that ads should just talk about the product but I guess because of the increasing competition and the fact that sexualisation sells, such advertisements are on the rise. But I don't think it will have any effect on educated people.
– Priya Nayak
Sharjah

The sexual content is a reflection of today's social mores.

I don't agree; that is definitely not the case in the UAE. This could be the case for other countries, it could reflect the social trend and I think the media is largely responsible for it.
– Ahmad Hassan
Dubai

Could be; but it would be more within the context of trying to attract more consumers, especially the youth. I am not too sure how much the content is a reflection of social trends but it definitely is being used as a good marketing tool. It has proved to be successful.
– Mufleh Salim
Dubai

I would agree to some extent. We see that in ads because "sex" sells and that is what society is moving towards. So, yes, it does reflect social trends.
– Pipper Daniels
Dubai

I would agree because, nowadays, society is more open to such ideas and such ads no longer have any shock value for the viewers. It is no longer a big deal, but at the same time, I wouldn't say that it reflects change in society. It only shows that society has become a lot more tolerant.
– Ashfana Hamid
Dubai

Advertisers only care about winning the publicity war.

I guess so. These days, even we, the consumers, don't look so much at the product as much as we look for what's the offer and whether it is worth buying. I think all ads look the same these days; therefore the way I look at it is if it benefits me in any way.
– Alice Misquitta
Dubai

In my opinion, the advertisements are to create publicity. The advertiser wants to impress the image of the brand on the viewer's mind and he has to do a better job than that of the competition. They care about building their brands, not winning publicity wars.
– Robert Azar
Dubai

Yes, they do. These days, advertisers are spending a lot of money on ads as they think it would get more people interested in their product. But at the same time, they do not care much about the product itself, their main concern is how the ad looks, not whether it conveys what it should. In my opinion, these ad wars do not affect people in any way.
– Faranah Goulamaly
Dubai

I think this is true only to some extent. They want to win, to prove themselves to their competition and also for better visibility. Brands have a big role to play here. For instance, when you look at the cola wars, it is not the ad per se that is very different, but the person who presents it, as is the case with brand ambassadors, who make a difference.
– Balachander Subramanian
Dubai

Ads can be held culpable in acting as a trigger factor for sexual crimes.

Yes, I think in some parts of the world, yes, as the ads do influence people and they do get affected by it. Some sort of censorship might help.
– Amr Mohey
Dubai

Yes, I would think so because these days people are tempted when they see such scenes. I am not sure if there should be a ban on such ads, but surely there could be some control mechanism.
– Prasanna Kumar
Dubai

I wouldn't say that ads could be directly responsible, partially maybe. I say that because ads don't just teach the wrong things, they educate people and create awareness about issues as well. The advertising industry is not interested in just selling always.
– Yna Largo
Dubai

Yes, I agree with this. Not just ads, but even movies are responsible. These mediums tend to exaggerate things and therefore tempt viewers. I feel that to avoid such a scenario, where children are concerned, parents should control. I don't think censorship is the answer to this.
– Sandeep Crasta
Dubai