Commercial Communication in the Digital Age

Kati Förster and Ulrike Weish

1.1Advertising Critique: Themes, Actors and Challenges in a Digital Age

Abstract: Ever since advertising emerged, both its functions and threats have been debated. The themes of advertising ethics and critique are multifaceted; the majority relate to the depiction of violence, hypersexualization and various “-isms” (e.g. ageism). The digital environment has added new aspects to the topic; respondents primarily worry about their loss of control, transparency and privacy. At the same time, the Internet provides a platform for critical voices – from keeping informed via the signing of petitions against certain advertising practices, to becoming an advertising activist her- or himself. This chapter addresses the current ...