How does a person know when someone is being dishonest with them? Much research has been done on the subject. Some would say you can tell by their body language, the word choice they use, or even the direction they look as they speak. However, whether or not that person was being honest or not would really depend on their personal definition of honesty.
Most people would say that being honest means telling the truth. But that leaves us with another word that means different things to different people. A lot of people claim that they believe that there is no absolute truth, that truth is relative. However, in claiming this to be the truth, they are making an absolute statement. They contradict themselves.
I believe in absolute truth. Something is either completely true or it isn't. I also believe a person can lie by omission, or leaving out a truthful detail. A young man telling his parents he was just “out with friends” instead of in a basement drinking with those friends might not seem that important in the circumstances.
But if the circumstances change and he is suddenly a suspect of a crime, his exact location becomes very important. On the other hand, a lot of people believe that they are not lying with what they don't say. In fact, advertisers use this tactic all the time in print ads and commercials.
One of my favorite television commercials is for Axe deodorant for men. According to the company website it is now the number one selling deodorant in Canada and is growing in popularity in the US (Number 1 Male Deodorant). It shows several women seductively stroking various objects made of aluminum. One woman runs a stapler across her cheek. Another outlines her bottom with a frying pan. Another woman is seen straddling an aluminum ladder. Just when the viewer is seriously beginning to question what the commercial could possibly be for, we see a handsome young man applying the last of his deodorant and tossing the aluminum can into a recycling bin. The words “new longer lasting axe effect” appear just before the blackout (Axe Deodorant). Clever, isn't it? Clever it may be, but it's also deceiving on a couple of different levels.
One of the most famous adages in advertising is “sex sells”. The adage definitely applies to the Axe advertisement. Although subtle, the message is clear: use Axe deodorant for men and women will find you irresistible. I won't even get into the implication that a piece of aluminum could still hold residue after the recycling process fragrant enough to smell. The very idea is ridiculous.
As a woman, I can testify that smelling good will definitely help a man find a date. After all, no one wants a stinky escort. However, scent alone is not enough to drive a woman wild. While it's true that the advertisers are not saying “If you use our product, you will be guaranteed to get sex”, they aren't denying the claim either. The implication remains. With that implication, the advertisers are hoping to deceive.
I also find the wording at the end of the commercial interestingly deceptive. The ad promises “new longer lasting axe effect”. In his article “Weasel Words”, William Lutz explores the truth behind words and phrases advertisers use to lure in the consumer. The words “longer lasting” is an example of what Lutz calls “unfinished words”. Simply put this is when an advertiser starts a comparison and then leaves it for the consumer to finish.
What does it last longer than? Other deodorants? A day? A minute? When a comparison is left unfinished the product could do anything and the advertisement would be considered true because of what it did not say. More importantly it the claim states that an “axe effect” is what last longer. What exactly is the “axe effect”? It's implied that it's the ability to cause women to desire men. However, because it's never defined in the ad itself, it could be just about anything.
When we break down the ad and study it closely for truth, we find that really says absolutely nothing clear whether or not the product even works. The purpose of deodorant is simply to keep away body odor. A group of women making out with their appliances says nothing about whether or not the young man at the end of the commercial actually smells good or not. We never see any of the women anywhere near the young man. Everything is implied through the use of images and one deceptive phrase.
