Advertising may be described as the science of arresting the human intelligence long enough to get money from it.
“Crown’s Book of Political Quotations” by Stephen Butler Leacock, quoted in Michael Jackman 1982
There are good ads — ads that provide important messages or help people live healthier lives. And there are the bad ads — which provide you with bad advice. Easy to spot, albeit not always easy to ignore.
And then there are the deeply misleading ads. Ads that ostensibly are for good purposes but are deeply misleading. A good example is a recent Verizon ad. Christina H. Summers examines this ad nicely ( Verizon’s Inspire Her Mind ad and the facts they didn’t tell you ) — and shows that “powerful” does not mean truthful, or even good. Especially when you consider the topic of education and science.
Also a great reminder to do the smart thing: Check the facts.
Highly recommended.