Introduction advertising unit Structure

8.9 “TRUTH” IN ADVERTISING 
Truth refers to facts which can be observed and verifiable. In 
law, truth means a swear taken by each person entering a witness 
box. This truth is the whole truth and nothing but the truth. 
Advertising is said to render greatest service by presenting the 
commercial knowledge. It has to be good and true because it can 
not afford to be bad or untrue. Advertisements carrying correct and 
true information will be build confidence in the minds of consumers 
and build goodwill of the product. A wrong or untrue information 
presented by advertising damage the image of the company. They 
are different ways of presenting untruth in advertising. 
1. Misrepresentation :
This is a deliberate attempt to tell untruth. It 
takes place by attributing to good qualities which the products may 
not possess quoting names of users not in existence, giving 
statistics of assumptions not justified by the facts. In 
misrepresentation, there may not be international twisting of the 
facts but still misrepresentation in advertising undesirable. 
2. Make-Believe Statistics :
The idea in these is to give such 
statistics as to make the readers believe that the figures are 
concise and precise while actually they may not be so. Such 
statistics mislead the consumers. 
3. Total Lies :
Advertisements of products which claim mirage e.g., 
reduction of 10kg. weight in 8 days or white hairs will become black 
within one month. 
4. Misuse of Testimonials :
Advertisements in which testimonials 
of firm stars and sportsmen are used simply for sales promotion. 
5. Alcohol and Tobacco Advertising :
Advertising which induce 
people to use tobacco and alcohol are harmful to human life e.g., 
pan masala and gutka. 

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