Friday's Caffeine #6

Honor Among Thieves

Ethics + Advertising=Oxymoron! 

To be fair, in most cases

     I ask, what is a better title. The chronicles of a true Oxymoron or is there actual truth in advertising.

     Oh, Come On!  Any way you look at it, what’s being sold is a dream and it doesn’t matter what it is. The word Ethics and Advertising can sometimes be considered very affectionate kissing cousin to the term oxymoron! That or ambiguous morality.  I could actually leave this article at this point and call it a done day, but what fun would that be.  I believe there’s something called Truth in Advertising, but what does that in tells and does it also encompass authors, agents, others who wave happily at you with one hand and has the other pulling out your dollars, Won, Pounds, Yuan, Florins, Yen, Euros, Krone, Pesos, Rubles, Shilling, and… You get the point.   We all romanticize or pass judgment, or make snap, emotional, and logical decisions on what we see to the point that judging a book by its cover is no longer a warning sign, but a welcome sign. And, yet what is the one that that attracts us each time. You got it. Pretty, Pretty, Shiny, Shiny!  It is only after many have stuck their toe in the water (metaphorically of course) that we disregards the wrapping and dive right in (with money in hand).  But, until that happy day arrives, all we have to go by is our personal opinions of that book by its cover, that painfully attractive written advertisement plastered across the poster, some flashy radio announcement, or some mind numbing video advertisement whose jingle plays over and over in our heads.  And yet, sometime just the mere association causes an even bigger stir. Consider these few.

Recognized Associations
     Celebrity endorsements, Fellow authors who are hugely successful, Business Leaders,  and the leaders in the peer-pressure-poll all are considered attention grabbing, but there is yet one more. Drumroll please!  Public (trends).  This one is highly considered and highly recognized because of its instant association with what is similar, identical, or the complete opposite of what has the attention of the masses. Any one or two of these can turn the boring into the most exciting, insightful, and ultimate thing to happen in this century or any other.  And, what (or who) can give you this? You can see this train coming from miles (meters) away. Here comes the oxymoron train on track… 10, (not touching that one) and it’s not your agent.  Oh but there is one more answer you hadn’t considered, and this one is a real doozy.  It’s the media itself.

The Media
     I placed the media last because it is rare that all forms of information exchange (Television Stations, newspaper, or magazines) bring anything to our attention without one of the previous four being involved.  And, here’s my plug for Public Broadcasting Systems on both TV and Radio.  SUPPORT THEM! But, in all cases, they need money to function and that comes from advertisement (PBS + Us = All of Us Win).  It is the advertisements and the positive spin for even the worst of product that can instantly causes buyer’s remorse and reduce the possibilities for something, someone, and someone’s ideas to be overlooked or shied away from.

    There is a TV show with a wonderful line from  its‘ trailer that sums it up in a nice little Pretty, Pretty, Shiny, Shiny package.  (The show is about an advertising firm and any and every kind of drama you could think of, and a bit more happens). 

“We tell them what they need and when they need it.  Truth, we’re just stealing their watch to tell them the time, and they are paying us millions.”

     Unfortunately, there are some out there who has the perfect formula, the perfect look, and the perfect track record to do just that.  Fortunately, even they had to start from somewhere.  You can either take the express elevator or hope the clock with your fifteen minutes of fame is in your hands to control, or you can grow something special and enjoy the view on your way up.  I’ll end this here with my final thoughts.

     Hopefully, the people who profess to be there to help you obtain your dreams isn’t just telling you what you want to hear and you are hearing what they are telling you. even a bumpy ride will still get you to where you want to be. SD

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