Advertising and Stereotypes

Ads, or advertisements are the best way for companies to get their product to a wider audience, ensure that they are known and will be guaranteed some form of reaction towards the product or the advertisement. In many of these ads there are humorous moments or aspects typically distracting us from some form of agenda, however this distraction can start putting in more subliminal messages about certain groups in society. Whether this is intentional or not it is very prominent in advertising, such as an ad in China where a man of African dissent is portrayed as dirty and needing to be cleaned, as in being shoved into a washing machine. This fortunately was not overlooked, the advertiser caught no slack and immediately removed the ad from the air.

However, in many cases this type or stereotyping or racism in ads is overlooked and can lead to animosity or concreting of xenophobic ideologies in peoples’ minds. This has been evident in the US in many forms of fast food advertising, or the sale of other products, the ads might have a individual of African heritage consuming a food item often associated with their culture. This further enforces said stereotypes and encourages individuals to continue the perpetuation of said stereotype. Mainly due to the belief that having that ideology is acceptable.

Advertisers most likely know they are making these advertisements and continue to further push the mold occasionally having to recall or cancel certain ads. They should stop creating these ads because they have such a strong pull with the youth of our world, and should tale the moral stance to oppose these ideologies.