Advertisements exist on a spectrum of manipulation. For example, old ads in the 50's sometimes used phallic subliminal messaging to attempt to get viewers to mi

Advertisements exist on a spectrum of manipulation. For example, old ads in the 50's sometimes used phallic subliminal messaging to attempt to get viewers to misappropriate their sexual urges with the thing being advertised (no kidding, see [1]). Even though it probably doesn't work it's the mindset behind the attempt that is gross. The goal was to manipulate. On the other side of the spectrum you have the ole soap in the pickup's window saying For Sale. Somewhere between these two extremes is a line where advertisements go from being ethical to being unethical. Clean one-size-fits-all solutions don't work here, we have to go through the trouble of defining what manipulation is and when it applies. Simply telling people that your product/service exists in the world is not by itself manipulation period. [1] https://www.tonyacardinali.com/blog/18-hidden-messages-in-advertising-old-new https://www.tonyacardinali.com/blog/18-hidden-messages-in-ad...