Summary Paper on "The Indictments Against Advertising" by Courtland L. Bovée and William F. Arens

Essay by stolencHigh School, 11th gradeA-, October 2009

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Drawbacks in the Advertising BusinessAdvertising is a multibillion-dollar endeavor that persuades the society that buying certain products will, in one way or another, improve the lives of the American people. Many critics believe that too much advertisement influences the materialistic side of people. They also criticize advertisements because they claim it has the authority to make people buy irrational things. Courtland L. Bovée and William F. Arens, authors of The Indictments Against Advertising, explain to readers the benefits and drawbacks of advertising in our society. Although advertising is used to promote products and services, this business tactic has recently developed into a strictly analyzed profession.

In the business force, many companies rely on advertisement to promote their product or services. Many defenders of advertisement believe that by putting their name on a product, the company will work harder to make sure the product or service does what it promised.

If the creation does not perform to its promised excellence, the product and the company's name will forever be forgotten. Numerous advertisements promise greater sex appeal, higher social status, or other unrealistic advancements in social status, which ultimately causes people to buy things they cannot afford. Critics believe advertisement affects our value system, putting a stress on material things and generating a relationship between materialism and happiness. The United States is the most materialistic society in the world; critics ask if the attainment of more materialistic things really creates a more joyous life.

Authors Bovée and Arens explain how advertising manipulates people psychologically to spend more money on things they do not need (Bovée and Arens 359). Advertisement is socially criticized in every aspect; many people thinking it causes people to do irrational things. These people believe that advertising should be informative, factual, and should not play on people's desires,