Based on THIS article, is there an ethical issue?
In this situation, Ford Motor Company is under scrutiny for releasing some questionable advertisements last week. The advertisements originated from their Indian unit which used an advertising agency outside of Ford, called JWT India. As of today, it’s still unclear whether anyone at Ford India had actually approved or even seen the ads. Either way, these ads have been labeled “Disgusting” and “Demeaning to women”. Needless to say, the ads caused a sever uproar with online consumers.
The ethical situation here is obvious once you’ve seen the ad. For any company to connect their organization with such a blatantly sexist advertisement is risky to say the least. Many news readers have even used the word “stupid” and it really is. It’s just logic and common sense. Even hinting at the fact that men are superior to women is unethical; and untrue. Not to mention the fact that women (in India) are already in the spotlight from recently passed violence against women laws. There is no excuse for this kind of behavior. Ford has been in the game a long time and will probably remain here for many years to come. All Ford can do is learn from this error and keep moving forward.
This article honestly surprises me and the advertisement surprises me even more. I don’t think I’m the only one though. Ford expressed genuine shock and concern for this event. Their first action was to apologize to the public and locate the source of such advertisements. This was honestly the only option that Ford had. There’s no point in trying to deny or cover up their mistakes. We all make mistakes, and I think as people we must learn to be accepting of others mistakes.
