Let's dissect the thin line between Fake and Actual advertising
Advertising is done to make your product or service alluring to its target audiences and we love it when the advertisers do something amazing to grab our attention. However, there have been times when ads duped customers through many tactics. If you just search ‘fake advertisements’, you’ll find plenty of information that makes the picture clear. Wikipedia gives you a detailed classification of different techniques for deceiving customers and shows you instances of each one of them. There are lots of big and small brands that have been brought to court for misleading their customers.
Not everything that shines is GOLD
Recently, the Advertising Standard Council of India (ASCI) asked the WhiteHatJR, an online education website owned by Byju’s to remove its ads in which some elite professionals are fighting with each other to get the finance bid in an app developed by a kid. The ad did seem appealing but it could lead many parents to believe that their kids will probably become a millionaire after learning coding from the website.
Since the outbreak of Covid-19, many companies have been trying to sell their product on the pretext of virus-prevention. Kent-RO is one of those brands that came under fire for showing that its water-filter systems could prevent Coronavirus. The brand has discontinued that particular ad and going on with its regular campaign style.
Don't be a SCAMMER; be a KINGMAKER
From exaggerated visuals to omitting information, hidden fees, misleading claims, and manipulation of terms, there is a long list of things that can make your ad deceptive. Brands leave no stone unturned to make their products and services attractive and this tendency often leads to grey areas. For example, the WhiteHatJr’s ad was striking but it probably set some unrealistic expectations.
The aforementioned examples show you instances of brands going overboard with their marketing charade and causing some confusion in the customers’ minds. If we explore this domain further then we come across downright scams that are solely created for cheating people. The broad reach of social media and fintech has enabled many people to manipulate views and inveigling people to believe things that are untrue. The ‘Khelo India’ led many naïve sports people to believe that they have to pay for participating in the event and many of them got cheated.
While searching the content on this topic, we found this insightful post that shows how easy it is to post fake ads.
In the end, Creativity Prevails.
Advertising is a creative work and professionals involved in this job often come up with out-of-the-box ideas to create an impact. Associating with a trending topic over social media is a tempting idea that no one can resist. Right now, there are many brands that want you to know that their product can help you prevent Corona virus and boost your immunity. A hand-sanitizer or a health drink manufacturer can probably pitch you with that, but if a distemper or a water filter product does the same thing, it is certainly difficult to believe. The best thing that brands can do is to refrain from making false claims or exaggerating details. Several brands and advertisers have been creating amazing work and adding value to their business while following standard guidelines. It is certainly possible to lead a successful campaign without getting your hands.
