Advertisements promote organizations and sell their basic image to the world. The video is an advertisement by an insurance company in Thailand that was made in 2014 with the aim of promoting their life insurance company. The visual text is ethical due to the fact that it has utilized local talent and resources employing Thai citizens to conduct the commercial, it portrays the spirit and essence of generosity in people, and it educates on how to live a good simple life in the community and the benefits that it brings as a whole.
The video is set in Thailand and begins with a man dressed in a white shirt, black trousers and carrying a backpack, walking on a street. He comes across water pouring from an adjacent building and on the pavement, there is a pot of flowers that have dried it. He aligns the pot next to the stream and allows the water to pour onto the flowers. As he moves along he meets a lady trying to drive a grocery cart up a pavement and he helps her. He then comes across two beggars a mother and her child, begging for school fees to take the child to school. He is touched and offers most of the money he carries. An old man with a business adjacent shrugs his head wondering why the man is helping the beggars. He later heads to an apartment building and leaves a bunch of bananas on his neighbor's (an old lady) door. The sequence of events repeats the following morning, whereby he is walking on the pavement and comes across the flowers he had previously aligned with the pouring water. He meets the business lady who was pulling a cart and helps her once more with the cart this time the lady was expecting him. He later meets the beggars and hands them money once more. The man then heads for lunch where he shares a piece of meat with a dog. The man is then seen in a bus and hands his seat to a lady who was standing. We later see the man at home praying and feeding his chicken. The following day the same sequel of events happen however this time around the flowers have grown, the dog follows the man home and the daughter of the beggar goes to school. This shocks the man and the old businessman as well since he could not believe that the child actually went to school. The old lady comes out of the room and hugs the man thanking him for his good deeds. The man is now full of joy having helped a plant, a child to go to school, a lady with her cart and having to feed a dog. The video ends with a small mention of Thai Life Insurance and its motto.
In advertising, it is ethical to utilize the resources and employ the people in the locality that you're advertising in. This shows that a company cares about the well-being of its potential customers and is willing to give them a form of income. The video portrays a life insurance tailored for the Thai population and has used local resources to advertise. The actors are Thai and the use of symbolism showing a local food cart and local food restaurants aims at emphasizing the point that the insurance is for all.
The video brings out the true meaning of generosity, which is an essential part of the Thai people and any community for that matter. Life is wholesome and incorporates each and every one, both the rich and the poor. Wealth is not a matter of success only but a combination of success, humility, and generosity. Advertisements are very expensive to produce and most companies aim at making them as short as possible with a strong message to drive up sales. The beginning of most advertisements contains an aspect of the company is it the logo, motto, mission statement, etc. In this video, we only encounter the name of the insurance company at the very end of the video and for only a few seconds. Despite the fact that it is an advertisement, the company did not bombard its audience with the company’s name and identifying features. The advert first strives to drive a point home i.e., the essence of generosity, and the advantages it bestows to those who receive it. This is seen by the generous nature of the main character. He gives out most of his money and shares his food with a stray dog. He goes out of his way to help a lady with her cart and they even become friends. The advert does not lie or exaggerate its intention just laying it down simply. This shows a high ethical concept, refusing to exaggerate an issue to drive up sales (Munjal). (Best Advertisement ever-Winner of Best Ad 2014)
An ethical advertisement does not impose false beliefs to its audience (Juneja), despite the need to drive sales. Advertisements should be realistic, moral simple, educative and in line with the beliefs of the target consumers. The advert educates on the morals and benefits that individuals should have, emphasizing on simplicity, happiness and an essence of family in the community. This is seen by the simple nature of the main character who walks to work, travels by bus, eats a simple meal and cares for a stray dog. In the end, the man is filled with happiness as he gets a loyal dog as a pet, he feels a sense of accomplishment after seeing the child in school uniform from school and he is filled with joy when the old lady embraces him thanking him for the bananas.
The visual text upholds the utilitarian approach which evaluates an action in regard to its consequences and outcomes (Capsim). The dilemma is solved by evaluating which action produces the most good in a situation and does minimal harm. Good overpowers the bad and a decision between what is ethical or not is centered on how much benefit will a situation or an advert brings to the audience. A positive phenomenon is given the first priority. The company has used a lot of money in producing the advert however the message of generosity, simplicity, humanity, and humility are the most pronounced. The advert could have been company centered depicting its status, products and benefits everywhere in the video, however, it chose to highlight the above and incorporate its name at the very end of the video. Despite the expense associated with producing the video, the company decided to go with what is the most good and share an important message with the audience and at the same time advertise itself.
References
Best Advertisement ever-Winner of Best Ad 2014. 2014. Youtube. 2 February 2018. .
Capsim. "Five Ways to Shape Ethical Decisions: Utilitarian Approach." Capsim (2011).
Juneja, Prachi. "Ethics in Advertising." Management Study Guide (n.d.).
Munjal, Neha. "A study of Ethical Issues in Advertising and Analyzing Different Unethical Advertisements." Ecoforum (2016).
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