Have we ever thought of the major sources that bring about a change in our lives? There are many things that surround us and then imbed into our subconscious, and the television is one such major source, that becomes an addiction with passing time. We cannot blame the television for being a negative influence on us, because of its positive aspects; similarly, television commercials are necessary for marketing, but on the other hand, they may be harmful because of the elements portrayed in them.
Not all advertisements are harmful, or show images that may be detrimental to viewers. Because people find the tube the easiest way to entertain themselves after a long day’s work, children often automatically get used to the same, and in their free time, sit in front of the television with full enthusiasm. Since advertisements take up about fifty percent of the time of any serial or program that is being aired, they play an influential role in a child’s life, specially, as well as the elders watching the box. Youngsters are said to be ‘affected’ more by sighting commercials, because they are unwise, and get convinced by the new ideas and trends that are being portrayed, but the views of an elder person would be different, as he would be aware of the fact that these advertisements are just brainwashers, and no one specific brand can be trusted the way it is advertised.
The visual ad that I am describing here is that of the world renowned fast food chain, McDonalds. It shows two kids, having a meal at the restaurant, and both the kids are overweight. The virtual image that the ad is depicting is that having a meal at McDonalds would make your child healthy. Many parents feel that being fat is being healthy, and this is what such misleading ads show. Ads are a way of marketing products or services, and advertisers put in all sorts of innovative ideas to promote specific goods. Misleading ads are considered harmful because they show things that are no real, and are not factual. These images or scenes illustrate unreasonable things, like this McDonalds ad. Is it really good for a child to be overweight or for anyone for that matter, to be overweight? Additionally, having a meal at McDonalds or other such fast foods is an unhealthy habit, then why favor such a propaganda, so as to convince young kids to follow the same?
The fat kid that has been shown in this ad contradicts what it is showing in reality. Being fat or obese is unhealthy, not healthy. Obesity leads to various diseases, and is highly fatal if not controlled. Showing the fat child is unfair for viewers, because parents may watch the ad and think he is cute, whereas in real, he is extremely unhealthy, and is showing an act that should be strongly disregarded. Such an example has been given by Joan Dunayer in her essay “Here’s to your Health”, that advertisements viewed on television may actually be contradicting what they are actually showing (Dunayer, p. 725).
Advertisements in today’s world are mostly contradictory to reality. What this ad actually shows, is that having a meal at McDonalds may result in your child becoming unhealthy and obese. Thus, going to such fast food outlets frequently will not help in becoming a healthy individual, rather, it will go against you. But when children view such ads with their elders, they may respond to them by insisting on going to those very franchise outlets, which are indeed harmful. Hence the main cause of this entire scenario is the ad itself, misleading the consumer.
Propaganda through ads is not uncommon; in fact, ads are in real, propaganda, as aforementioned. This ad is one appealing to our emotions, thus the bandwagon technique of propaganda has been applied here. This propaganda works because it applies to the entire general public, and not to any specific set or level of people. The audiences of such ads are compelled to conform to them, because the brands they are watching are already leaders, and want to remain in the lead (McClintock, p.706).
If only advertisements could show things which are in unison with a person’s real life – but that may never happen, because reality is often too harsh, and may be boring. People actually get attracted to ads, and new ads especially. Some even wait for new ones to appear, and wish to follow the brainwashers more. With the advent of the television, people have started to fool themselves more, rather than pay attention to how they are indirectly being harmed.
It is apparent that visual images may be misleading, and a bad influence on upcoming generations. On one hand, we want our children to be the most outstanding amongst the crowd, and on the other, we are showing them images that are leading to their destruction in the long run. Ads can be alarmingly harmful to viewers, and much thought needs to be put in before they are blindly followed. Therefore, one should be sure not to get influenced by viewing such ambiguous ads, as this McDonalds one.
Works Cited
Dunayer, J. Here’s to your Health.
McClintock, A. Propaganda Techniques in Today’s Advertising.