Reebok’s “Cheat
on your girlfriend, not on your workout” is advertising a fitness wear line
that should be more important than a romantic relationship. This is an
ethically questionable ad because Reebok is expecting its consumers to morph
his/her values towards a relationship with a workout (while wearing all Reebok
apparel) instead of having a relationship with a human. The tagline on Reebok’s
ad also endorses heterosexual-only relationships due to the man’s fit body in
the photo and the word “girlfriend” is used to signify a heterosexual
relationship. This advertisement also has a minor shock value due to the words
instead of the images. Shock advertising is considered marketers who use
“nudity, sexual suggestiveness, or other startling images” to get the
consumer’s attention (736). Reebok uses shock advertising through its language
and message. Reebok’s message is that men can now have a “reason” to place more
value on their workout vs. their significant other. Although they do not
necessarily use vulgar language or expletives, they are offering a message that
not all public would view eye-to-eye with.
Burger Kind’s ad
for the Super Seven Incher sandwich advertises a white, blonde-haired,
blue-eyed woman with her mouth gaping open, ready for a sandwich to enter it.
This advertisement refers to a sexual suggestiveness which points towards shock
advertising functioning well to get the attention of the consumer. Although a
retailer store like Abercrombie & Fitch banned its advertisements from being
racy and sexualized, Burger King does not normally market towards a sexualized
target market (736). With this ad, though, it perpetuates a young woman who is
receiving sexual acts from a piece of food.
Seven-Up soda
features an advertisement of a newborn baby happily drinking out of a 7-Up
bottle. “Why we have the youngest customers in the business..Nothing does it like
Seven-Up!” The consumer socialization process describes the process of minors
being exposed to advertisements but still have TV networks control what can be
shown to children and teens (738). This advertisement may be placed in an adult
magazine or marketed towards older people but the usage of a baby adds shock
value to the ad.
