Supporting a company with inappropriate advertising

[newbie9]

I think I’m being overly scrupulous here, but it is something I’m trying to decide in my head. If a company that performs morally neutral services puts out an advertisement you feel is inappropriate/immoral in its content, would there be any moral reason not to still do business with that company?

I’m asking that in general, but my specific question is where I think I may be taking it to an extreme. Would there be any moral reason to not support a second morally neutral company who uses that first morally neutral company’s services?

 

[Matrix_Refugee]

This is on a level with boycotting a company because they provide funding to :: Insert at-best morally questionable cause of choice::. It’s likely to hurt the wrong people, ie. the workers whose paychecks depend on the revenues that the company brings in and who likely have families to support. It would be nice if every company that provided all the services that we use and need had completely moral advertising, but we live in an imperfect world full of sinful people. Your best bet might be to use the services provided, but pray that their advertisers cut out the funny business with the so-called “cheeky” ads.

 

[Corki]

I think I’m being overly scrupulous here, but it is something I’m trying to decide in my head. If a company that performs morally neutral services puts out an advertisement you feel is inappropriate/immoral in its content, would there be any moral reason not to still do business with that company?

I’m asking that in general, but my specific question is where I think I may be taking it to an extreme. Would there be any moral reason to not support a second morally neutral company who uses that first morally neutral company’s services?

When a company advertises, the intent is to attract you to the product and the brand. If the advertising is morally offensive, that will be unattractive to people with good moral character. It is fine to reject companies that use morally repulsive advertising just as it is fine to gravitate to companies whose advertising you find appealing.

But there is no moral requirement to avoid a company solely due to it’s advertising.

 

[Ohana]

WhooHoo! Boycott Away!!! Let me tell you there are some lingerie and jeans advertisements that make me blush, especially if one of my men are around. I will never buy one of their products. ( oh well, might not fit anyway )

Seriously, I do think we need to inform advertisers when we find their ads offensive, or if they are supporting a choice that is morally offensive to us. We need to be rational and polite when doing so, but then, how else are they to know they turn off a segment of the population.