Many advertisements today are false. Advertisements have the potential to persuade people into making transactions that they might otherwise avoid. There are many ways that advertisers false advertise. In many countries, including Canada, false advertisement is illegal. However, advertisers still find ways to deceive consumers in ways that aren’t as noticeable but are technically still illegal. I want false advertisement to stop altogether. Shouldn’t consumers have the right to know what they are buying?

     One way that advertisers false advertise is by using the false coloring method. The false coloring method is used to make people think food is riper, fresher, or healthier than it really is. Food coloring can be a form of deception. When combined with added sugar or corn syrup, bright colors give the subconscious impression of healthy, ripe fruit. Packaging can obscure the true colors of foods contained within, such as red mesh bags containing yellow oranges or grapefruit, which then appear to be a ripe orange or red. Regularly stirring hamburger on sale at a deli can also make the meat on the surface stay red, implying that it is fresh, while it would quickly oxidize and brown, showing its true age, if left unstirred.

     Another method of false advertisement is the “Incomplete Comparison” method. They may say that their brand is “better” than another brand. "Better" means one item is superior to another in some way, while "best" means it is superior to all others in some way. However, advertisers frequently fail to list the way  they are being compared (price, size, quality, etc.) and, in the case of "better", to what they are comparing (a competitor's product, an earlier version of their own product, or nothing at all). So, without defining how they are using the terms "better" or "best", the terms become meaningless. An ad which claims "Our cold medicine is better" could be just saying it is an improvement over taking nothing at all.

     There are laws against false advertisement, but false advertisement is still occurring. For companies and advertisers, it can’t just be about money all the time. The food industry needs to be concerned about their consumers and their consumer’s health.

                                                                                                                                                                         - Allison Hachey