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Old 06-30-2003, 10:43 AM   #1
Undertoad
Radical Centrist
 
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Cottage of Prussia
Posts: 31,423
6/30/2003: Deceptive ads



This was caught by Consumer Reports for their hilarious Selling It column. Both these ads appeared in the same issue of Men's Fitness. Same guy gaining 28 pounds and losing 30 pounds with the same before and after bodies. It looks like losing weight is a better deal as you also get a shirt, a girlfriend, and a more pleasant environment.

I believe that, in the US, we are on the verge of going over the edge in fraud and deception. About half the ads on radio these days are frauds, and the number of television is increasing bit by bit as well. It seems alarming, although one wonders if there's really anything anyone could do about it.

I'm fascinated by ads for "natural male enhancement" that visually suggest their product increases genital size while the actual product description says no such thing. Even the phrase "male enhancement" is part of the deception; the seller can claim that even placebo effects are an "enhancement" for the user. Without question, this is not just fraud but very carefully constructed fraud, and everyone involved to understand that the product actually does nothing.

On the other hand, much of the same could be said for every advertisement everywhere...
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