La publicidad como vendedora de sueños. Una reflexión desde la ética / Advertising as a seller of dreams. A reflection from ethics

Abstract

Advertising no longer only sells products, it sells much more. Sell dreams, values, models of life and, ultimately, a symbolic universe associated with that product or service advertised. The truth is that this sale of 'intangible' issues causes a series of effects on consumers, who often do not see their expectations satisfied after acquiring the product or service in question. This gives rise to an ethical reflection, since, that symbolic universe that promises the publicity is not justiciable or in any other way, since it is an implicit and difficultly verifiable promise. That is why in this article we intend to reflect on this issue and review the mechanisms through which advertising sells those dreams and life models. For this, we will make a theoretical review with the reflections and thoughts of different experts in advertising, ethics and communication.