The National Rifle Association (NRA) has been “skirting the line of decency” for some time with their advertising, but this newest video crosses the line of ethical marketing.
Watch here.
Published in the National Journal, this article draws attention to the NRA’s campaign to position armed guards in American schools; however, the problem is not their goals, but how they are advertising them. The ad refers to President Obama as an “elitist hypocrite when it comes to a fair share of security” and targets the safety of his two daughters, Malia and Sasha. This ad was released in anticipation of Obama changing legislation regarding the possession of assault rifles, and feeds off the terrible after-affects of the Newtown shooting. Yet, ensnaring the President’s children into a political debate is an inexcusable example of unethical marketing, especially when the ad targets their safety and privacy. This ad affects those directly involved (the NRA and the Obamas), supporters of the NRA, and all other Americans, especially those with children in the school system. The issue of exploiting the President’s family has not been well received, particularly by other politicians such as New Jersey Republican Governor Chris Christie who called the ad “reprehensible” and “wrong”. While it is obviously desirable to launch an ad campaign that captures peoples’ attention and targets your consumers’ desires (such as keeping their children safe), this type of promotion is not ethical, and should not be aired. The NRA should apologize for using the President’s children, and should act with more respect in the future.