don's report archive

by Donald B. Ardell, Ph. D.

Wellness in the Headlines
(Don's Report to the World)

Oliver Wendell Holmes noted, "Pretty much all the honest truth-telling there is in the world is done by children." Children do not take out advertising, so you would be wise to consider these words of one of America’s greatest jurists the next time you see an ad for something you need or don't need!

It’s amazing to me that so many consumers actually buy stuff as a result of advertising, but they do. How else could one account for the fact that various companies spent $8 billion last year advertising on television alone? That figure represents a 15% increase over ad spending in 1999, so even if you don’t buy as a result of those pitches, lots of your neighbors must be doing so. What better oxymoron could there be than “truth in advertising?” These two words do not go together in a logical sentence!

What got me on a tear about advertising was a recent series of ads I noticed by the producers of varied AIDS drugs. Have you seen these bizarre pitches? They look very much like the jejune and infamous “Alive with Pleasure” billboards depicting orgasmically happy, beautiful people in the throes of nicotine bliss, dancing, singing and whooping for joy over something, though probably not the prospects of future throat, lung and stomach cancer. Such ads are so ludicrous; yet, they must be effective owing to bizarre methods of persuasion advertisers discovered from marketing research. How else could such depictions succeed in motivating the naïve and otherwise clueless to buy nicotine products in order that they, too, can experience bliss and sing, dance and whoop, like the young smokers in the ads?

A recent (August 5, 2001) article in the New York Times described how such ads, while offensive enough when done to promote smoking, are over the top when employed for medical advertising. After all, the risks associated with embellishing the benefits of smoking or the appearance of fast food, or just about any category of products, are appreciably lower than those having to do with creating misconceptions concerning a mortal disease. The ads for AIDS medications that I noted included depictions of robust young folks in the prime of health, some climbing mountains, others riding bikes, throwing javelins (how many people, let alone AIDS patients, throw javelins?), working on sailboats and so on. An FDA critic observes that such activities are "not generally representative of HIV patients!” Don't you love understatements?

In addition, and I suppose this is the greater concern regarding "truth" in advertising, such ads seem to imply that the drugs promoted either cure HIV infection, reduce its transmission or eliminate its effects, none of which is accurate. Another critic observed that such ads give people the idea that there is a cure for AIDS. When ads do that, some easily fooled folks will be less resolute in taking precautions, thinking falsely that AIDS is being prevented or at least controlled by such drugs. One official at the Centers for Disease Control stated that it is important not to minimize or distract anyone from the reality that AIDS "is still a lifelong, incurable disease."

One major drug company (Merck) responded to such criticisms by consumer groups and federal regulators by pulling its ads that gave these impressions, including many of the situations noted above. If only the tobacco companies would do the same.

However, you can immunize yourself against such marketing nonsense by adopting an attitude of bemused skepticism toward all advertising, without exception. Some ads are obviously more ridiculous and clearly false than others, but all are designed to sell, not to convey objective information. If you keep this fact in mind, you won’t pay attention to or take seriously any advertising, anytime, under any circumstances.

Unfortunately, the rest of the world population will not adopt this position anytime soon, so it is likely that medical advertising similar to these AIDS medication ads will continue. Those who are easily fooled by such ads will continue to be exploited and manipulated. At least you won’t be taken in, and as far as you are concerned, that is of great importance.

Be well, be skeptical and don’t take advertising seriously. Look on the bright side of life, anyway. Cheers.

(Note: This essay will be filed in the archives in the MENTAL DOMAIN under the skill area of effective decisions. Additional articles related to this theme may be found there.)

(Ed. Note: Views expressed in this and other columns are those of the author and not necessarily those of the SeekWellness Editorial Board.)

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