How Can We Minimize Visual Stereotypes in Ads?

Abstract

Because ever-shifting sociohistorical contexts compel their construction, distribution, and interpretation, visual stereotypes (VSs) in ads may have multiple meanings and changing connotations, making them challenging to detect and minimize via government regulation. To meet this challenge, VSs in ads are posited as a societal problem needing societal scrutiny. Hence, a pluralistic three-stage approach is proposed for detecting, cataloging, and assessing VSs in ads to minimize harm to depicted societal groups and support fundamental ethical values. In Stage 1, advertising ethicists would create a catalog of VSs in ads. Stage 2 relies on an online public forum for spotting new and previously unspotted VSs in ads. In Stage 3, advertising scholars and practitioners would use the output from Stages 1 and 2 to detect VSs in current ads. Finally, challenges to implementing the proposed three-stage approach are discussed.