CRITICISM OF ADVERTISING

Abstract

This study examines the meaning of advertising as used by scholars and practitioners. The highlight of the discussion is that advertising is paid for by an identified sponsor and also that the message of advertising is persuasive. The study also examine the major criticism of advertising. It also surveys the elements of the Tripod of Advertising; which are: the Advertiser, the Ad. Agency and the Media. The interrelationship of these three elements is emphasized.

INTRODUCTION

There have been a lot of disparaging criticisms against advertising. Some critics say that advertising deceives people to buy products they are not willing to purchase; others say that advertising is deceptive, that it gives wrong information about the product it advertises. Despite this barrage of criticisms, advertising is an essential tool for national development. It plays a lot of roles in economic development. According to the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, development means “the gradual growth of something so that it becomes more advanced, stronger, etc”. Taking this as a working definition of development, it is right to suggest that advertising plays a major role in National development. The major thrust of this payer is to look at the role of advertising in national development. The paper will survey the meaning of advertising and its brief history in Nigeria. It will also evaluate -the-Tripod & Advertising as-propounded-by-.Josef Bel-Molokwu. Finally, the paper will posit some roles of advertising in national development and conclusions and suggestions will be made based on that. What Is Advertising? Advertising has been described in different ways by different scholars and practitioners. Let us take a critical look at some of the definitions of advertising. According to Arens (1999), advertising is:

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