"Truth" in advertising

11 years ago

We've talked about those ads for anti-aging beauty products that show airbrushed models (sometimes young airbrushed models), and mascara ads illustrated with photos of models wearing false eyelashes. Here's another one that bugs me:

"Only Sleepy's has the most comfortable mattresses in the world!"

How can they get away with making such a statement? I'm surprised Hastens or one of the other ultra-luxury European mattress companies hasn't squashed them like a bug.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (16)

OklaMoni
11 years ago
There is only "their truth" in their advertising!!!!
jannie
11 years ago
And why on earth are most clothing models shaped like sticks? So the clothes can "hang" loosely , rather than falling along normal body curves.
Related Discussions
Favorite Crinums for the Rio Grande?
Q
Comments (9)
Two pretty white ones! Unfortunately, after spending the day in the blinding sun, staring at pale gray concrete, pale pink dirt, pale tan granite mulch, Indian white stucco walls, and taupe roof tiles (I hate modern desert landscape design and architecture, does it show?) I thirst for color! It's not the plant's fault, but I can only tolerate so many white flowers. Thank you anyway, Janie! Kevin : )
...See More
Backsplash tile issue
Q
Comments (9)
Thanks, Mahlgold, I agree. When I remembered that they are three hours behind here, I phoned, they had me write out my complaint via e-mail, and I just got a call from the showroom manager. He said he would call the warehouse and see what they could do. He asked me what my ideal resolution was, and I said, to have two or three of the boxes replaced with darker tile. I worry a bit (and he brought this up too) that they won't work together, but they looked good on the concept board, so I hope that will be the case on my walls too. He brought up the restocking fee and I said, "with all due respect, this is what I paid for so I don't think I should pay more to make it so." He said he would give me a call tomorrow after they open west coast time. So we'll see! My contractor practically had a conniption. We are both for own reasons dying to have my job done before he and his guys go on vacation on the 22nd. I made this clear to the AS manager.
...See More
Whatever happened to truth in advertising?
Q
Comments (14)
"Have you ever seen a hamburger, whopper or any of the other (mostly fast) foods the size of the ones in the ads? Surely deceptive, but apparently the public doesn't care." They are required to show a burger the same size and weight as the ones they sell. They do not just pick one up at the fast food joint, bring it to the studio. and photograph it. They have food stylists who work on creating a good looking burger for the pics. This means cooking it less than rare so it does not shrink, and slicing it and widening it for the photo so it looks like it is huge and hanging out of the bun. Veggies are all pushed forward for the photo to look like they are ample. Buns are baked and each seasame seed is hand glued on in an attractive pattern. Fries are specially selected and toothpicks are inserted to keep them straight and each one is strategicaly placed in the cup in a pleasing arrangement. The right camera angle is used. The burger is held by smaller hands. Ect. Food stylist tricks are used for all food commerials. Each piece of cereal is hand placed in the bowl with tweezers to look good. They use heavy cream or Kifir so the cereal does not soak up and get soggy. Turkeys are cooked only to their skins, raw inside, and the skin is coated with soy sauce to make it look golden. The part that is to be sliced is blasted by a torch so that part looks cooked when sliced. Apparently a lot of people never think of this being done. A friend of mine told me a story of how the first thing he wanted to do when he moved to America was run to McDonalds and have a Big Mac, that he had seen and heard so much about. He said he was soooo disappointed at the gloppy, gluey mess wrapped in paper that he got. And his car got broken into while he was inside eating it.
...See More
Actors portraying candidates in negative ads
Q
Comments (10)
I don't think of commercial advertising or political ads as being truthful. They use whatever means they can to get their point across and get your money or vote. My son is an editor for commercials quite often. He tells the story of doing a diet before and after commercial. For the "after" shots, they stretched the person's figure to make him or her appear thinner. Wonders of computer editing.
...See More
dedtired
11 years ago
I've been looking for a new car and visiting the dealer sites. One Honda dealer's site says "Only a Honda is a Honda".

Talk about truth in advertising, what could be more true or self apparent than that statement? Every time I see it I scratch my head and think yeah, and only a Toyota is a Toyota, only a BMW is a BMW, etc. What is their point?

I am skeptical of all advertising claims (except that a Honda is a Honda).
maxmom96
11 years ago
I've been intrigued by several TV ads that claim their products contain "Real ingredients".In my book, an ingredient is an ingredient, whether it's good or bad. If it's not a real ingredient, does that mean it's not there?
alisande
Original Author
11 years ago
LOL I haven't heard that one, Maxmom.....the food manufacturers must be getting desperate.

I notice some peanut butter manufacturers are putting "Natural" on their label. To me, natural peanut butter contains peanuts. Or peanuts and salt. That's it. How can a peanut butter be "natural" when it contains sugar and palm oil? And possibly other ingredients?
chisue
11 years ago
How about the smarmy PAC ads for or against a candidate that list the sponsor as some made-up "Committee for the Good of Mankind"? LOL

The clout-heavy Chicagoans who want to reap public funds with their 'non profit' charter schools just started a TV ad slamming the teachers' union for striking. The ad is funded by some goodie-goodie-sounding group like 'People for Education'. You'd never know they're in it for the money to be made.
alisande
Original Author
11 years ago
Oh, it's true, Chisue. That kind of thing bugs me, too.

"Paid for by The Citizens Who Want to Put the A Back in America." LOL
emma
11 years ago
I saw a documentary on truth in advertising Years ago and the advertisers have to tell the truth and the government does enforce it. If a company is advertising chocolate syrup and they show a sundae covered with the syrup, the syrup has to be real, the other ingredients don't have to be. They can use words that can mislead consumers. An example of how smart the companies are is that they will put Nature on herbs and other products and the consumer actually thinks/sees "natural". Kelloggs is being investigated or was for advertising blue berries in their products when there are none. There are purple clumps of sugar in one form or another, that's it. I don't know how that turned out.
chisue
11 years ago
You talkin' to me, yur fellow 'merican?

We enjoy listening to "Under the Influence" on PBS radio. It's on Saturdays at 6:30 a.m. here in Chicago. I think you can find it on Pirate Radio online. It's an amusing show about the advertising business.
sheilajoyce_gw
11 years ago
A relative is a film editor for commercials. He talks of the before and after shots of people who have lost weight on Jenny Craig. They take the after picture and stretch it taller to make the person look thinner.
alisande
Original Author
11 years ago
Oh, no! The after pics have prettier hair, nicer smiles, etc., but I never suspected that!
marie_ndcal
11 years ago
I have been using the mute button so much lately for political ads that I have not paid much attention to the ""real"" advertising. Some of the ads are cute like the Meow Meow Meow with the cats and some of the local stuff, except where they are yelling, and I keep threatening to go into one dealer and shout as loud as I can? Can you show me a car???? or something to that fact.
emma
11 years ago
Ah, Marie I remember those ads. Another reason not to miss TV. LOL
emma
11 years ago
Ah, Marie I remember those ads. Another reason I do not miss TV. LOL
jannie
11 years ago
A guy named Barnum said there was a sucker born every minute. Do I really think those "As sold on TV" gadgets work? No.
emma
11 years ago
I did not hit the submit button 3 times.??????

"Truth" in advertising

Comments (16)

OklaMoni

jannie

Related Discussions

dedtired

maxmom96

alisande
Original Author

chisue

alisande
Original Author

emma

chisue

sheilajoyce_gw

alisande
Original Author

marie_ndcal

emma

emma

jannie

emma

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

"Truth" in advertising

Comments (16)

Related Discussions

alisandeOriginal Author

alisandeOriginal Author

alisandeOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

alisande
Original Author

alisande
Original Author

alisande
Original Author