Overworking the Overhyped?
October 2011, Warren Matthews
Summary
I recently came across an article that discussed the banning of an advertisement for an exercise device that apparently 'misleads' the public by portraying 'unrealistic outcomes'. The ban came after a complaint was lodged with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
I recently came across an article that discussed the banning of an advertisement for an exercise device that apparently 'misleads' the public by portraying 'unrealistic outcomes'. The ban came after a complaint was lodged with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
Usually I’m not that interested in the banning of adverts as I think most of the time the ban comes after one person complains about it. The PC nature of this whole banning concept can get annoying as some of the ads which have been banned are usually quite funny and done in good taste. Although, you can never please everyone and this is where the bans come into effect.
Nevertheless, the recent ads promoting exercise machines and diets have become a bit ridiculous…even though they come with the disclaimer in a tiny font at the bottom of the screen.
Most of the time, these disclaimers state the obvious – that results may vary from person to person and whatever the concept or contraption being promoted, it will only be effective IF used in combination with a calorie-controlled diet and other forms of aerobic exercise.
These ads are overhyped and often show the physique of an overweight person without revealing his/her face. The ad then transforms the image to that of another person with an athletic physique (without also revealing the face). In some still images, the faces are often photo-edited which is not only dishonest, it’s just plain wrong. If you’re confident in your product, you should have nothing to hide.
In addition to this, if your product works show the results regardless if the improvement is not as dramatic as you may think it is. There’s a distinct line between being honest and realistic as opposed to being dishonest and over exaggerated when it comes to results.
However, common sense never seems to prevail in this day and age. People need to realize that if you buy an exercise product you can’t use it while stuffing junk food down your throat and expect to get the results that you want…or expected to get from the advertisement.
It would be like buying a recipe book and expecting your meal to turn out exactly like the one in the book. It may look similar but it won’t be exactly the same.
As much as the exercise adverts can be annoying, the lack of common sense by some people must also be taken into account.
You can read the article by clicking here.
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