Ethics in advertising
The sign read, “Best Bar-B-Que in Town.” The label on a box of cookies said, “30 Percent Fewer Calories.” The grocer boasted, “Freshest Produce in the County.” Are these statements true? Who knows? We’ve become so used to these assertions that as long as a company can weave a tale that somehow fits the facts, we’re coerced to believe it.
My purpose here isn’t to rail against false advertising claims but to lead us as believers to ask, “Does a Christian have any biblical mandates concerning ethical advertising?” Let me suggest five questions we should ask ourselves.
Does my product truly help people? The essence of good marketing begins with a good product. If your merchandise benefits your customers and it does so more than your competitors, then communicating that benefit is useful to them. That is what advertising is for—communicating. Is it truthful? Advertising claims should be true. When car companies discovered that quality was important, they immediately began advertising it. Nothing had changed at the plant, or in the design, but the claim spouted a truth that was hoped for but not yet reality. The Ninth Commandment says, “No lying.” Jesus told the crowds, “Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’” Nothing could be clearer. For the believer, if you compromise telling the absolute truth, you take the first step toward losing perspective of all truth. That step is a deceivingly dangerous beginning to a long and costly slide into deep sin. Is it honoring to God? If the answer to the first Catechism question is “to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever,” then our advertising should do the same. This means not only the message needs to be truthful, but also the means of communication needs be proper and God honoring. Does it set a godly example? Lewd, suggestive, bathroom humor in an ad may draw laughs, but it’ll never generate a “Well done good and faithful servant!” Paul tells Timothy, “set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.” What we say about our products and how we say it should help other Christians see how they can honor God and yet grow a business. Is God’s creativity reflected in my advertising? Chick-fil-A’s cows are a perfect illustration of creative, wholesome, and God-honoring advertisements. They make us laugh, think, and know. God is the author of all creativity, and His world is beautiful, fun, and colorful. We are made in His image, and therefore blessed with creativity. Dull, lifeless, copycat ads reflect a dull and lifeless God, and that is a lie generated from a lack of faith in God’s provision.Pray for God’s creative spark, and let’s show others how this can be done.
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