Misleading TV ads

There are a number of TV commercials notorious for their misleading claims. Some products are being promoted as instant cures or giving instant energy, while others are advertised in such a way that viewers get a false impression of the true efficacy or capacity of the merchandise in question.

The pursuit of commercial gain is undeniably the right of every manufacturer, but certain product advertisements fail to give correct guidance or perceptions to TV viewers. A herbal medicine, for instance, is advertised almost daily as a product that increases virility through its sperm count-raising capacity. Prospective consumers are thus led to believe that a high sperm count will automatically enhance male potency, which is not the case. A male with a low sperm count can still be highly virile (though he may not become a father of many children or even any child). Conversely, one with a high sperm count can be impotent though a potential father.

With a lot of such commercials around us, I appeal to manufacturers to be more scrupulous in promoting their products so as to create a proper balance between commercial pursuit and moral responsibility to the lay public.

ARIS P.

Jakarta