An analysis of controversial advertisements in India

Abstract

People are often exposed to between 6,000 and 10,000 advertisements per day, according to a Forbes report(Kirk, 2022). The majority of advertisements seen are just ignored or forgotten about within seconds since the normal human brain is simply unable to handle such a barrage of information. By allowing sellers to effectively compete with one another for the attention of customers, advertising has fulfilled a crucial function in the corporate world. To achieve a number of marketing and brand-building goals, brands utilize a variety of strategies to develop relationships and add value to consumers. Brands that are strong and compelling have begun to explore innovative ways to sell their goods and services. Controversial marketing is one of these methods. It serves as a marketing strategy to stand out in a crowd. Controversial marketing aims to surprise consumers and ultimately persuade them to purchase the good or service through conflicting opinions by taking advantage of moral and political beliefs, as well as other controversial information(Saara M, 2022). Advertisers continue to use these commercials, despite the possibility that they might offend a certain consumer group or groups, to promote their own or their clients' product offerings across a variety of categories, including goods, services, and ideas. Despite the moral and ethical standards established by the Advertising Standard Council oflndia (ASCI), advertisers in India frequently ignore, transgress, or break them because there is no automatic consequence.