Maybe You Need This product or Maybe You Don’t

Right information delivery via advertising is sometimes life-saving

It is a known fact that advertising departments around the globe use a plethora of tactics in compelling us to buy their products, but is it really a forced decision? People want to buy what they want to and when they want to. Nobody can force me to buy a thing if I don’t want to buy it unless a gun is cocked at my temple… that’s surely a different case. Though advertising companies cash on our fear and desperations sometimes right awareness campaigns are life-saving.

Amidst this coronavirus crisis, many products came to light which were relatively unknown before. So the appearance of these miraculous germ-killing products was just an act of advertisement or was it something more? The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends washing hands for a minimum of 20 seconds in order to stop the spread of the disease. Nobody, in their right senses, would deny this information. However many might criticize if same information came from a company that sells such hygiene products? Some might label it as an act of advertisement but even if that’s the case, is it causing any harm?

Let us take an example of a 30 second advertisement, highlighting the importance of a kitchen cleaner. The advertisement shows how germs can stay on multiple kitchen surfaces even after you have wiped down surfaces with a wet cloth. Now the same germs can later on infect you and your loved ones and cause sickness, but if you use a proper kitchen cleaner, you can get rid of these germs quite effectively. Now, you can be the judge of whether this act of advertisement was just for selling purposes or it spreads information too? Of course, it was both. One doesn’t need to be a genius to understand that such advertisements not only help the viewer make a better choice but also a right decision.

At such a time when awareness regarding germs and diseases could prove to be life-saving, calling out such advertisements can be a dangerous gamble. Washing hands and staying clean is your best bet to stop COVID-19 from spreading and it should be known and practiced, widely. Therefore, advertising products that promise results and effectiveness are just another side of the coin and shouldn’t be regarded as anything other than below the line. Consumers today are smart enough to make timely decisions and being informed is a part of this process.

So, let’s not be pawns to an irrational mind set by thinking that all advertisements are made to trick us. Apart from this, keep washing your hands, wear masks, and practice social distancing.