Truth in Advertising
For as long as I can remember, it has helped to have a healthy dose of skepticism when watching TV commercials. It’s not a secret that a lot of what advertisers say is meant to mislead the public. Let me give you some examples.
Have you ever bought a bottle of “pomegranate” or some other healthy juice, assuming the bottle actually contained a lot of that fruit? If you read the ingredient label, you may find that the advertised fruit is NOT the main ingredient. In fact, it’s often the LAST ingredient.
Car dealers scream wild promises in their commercials hoping to lure you onto their lots so their sales machine can go to work on you.
Some vacation ads trick you into shelling out big bucks for what appear to be amazing bargains on travel. Then, when you arrive at their destination, you discover the hotel is dilapidated and you have to spend extra money to find a decent place to stay.
Beer commercials are some of the most entertaining things you’ll see on TV. A lot of money goes into making one of the most dangerous substances on earth look like something that will make you popular with your friends and happy beyond your wildest dreams.
What if advertisers HAD to be 100% honest? Can you imagine how that would change commercials and food labels?
KFC used to claim their chicken was “finger lickin’ good.” If they were honest, they would have said, “You’ll have to lick your fingers when you eat our chicken because napkins alone won’t get rid of the grease.”
Instead of “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,” honest casinos would advertise, “The money you lose in Vegas stays in Vegas.”
Now, you might be asking yourself, “How does all this apply to me?”
Well, have you ever sold a used car? What did you say in your Facebook Marketplace ad? Did you claim the car was in excellent condition hoping no one would be able to tell it had been in a wreck?
Have you ever sold a house and failed to mention that the week before it went on the market you patched over a big crack on the ceiling?
Jesus was a big fan of honesty. He told his followers, “Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” (Matthew 5:37)
Be as honest with others as you want them to be with you. As much false advertising as there is today, imagine how that will make you “shine like stars in the universe.” (Philippians 2:15)