Advertising: information or manipulation? In today's tough economy, who can afford to spend their hard-earned money carelessly? Americans want good quality and low prices, and companies that advertise their products save money. Advertising was created for one purpose: to allow companies to promote their product (Black, Hashimzade and Myles). Some consumers may argue that advertising is not informative but is manipulative because some advertisements make false claims. Fortunately, there are regulations and consumer rights that promote truth in advertising. Consumers must recognize their right to continue advertising as it is intended to be. Advertising is meant to be informative, not manipulative, and consumers play a big role in promoting truth in advertising. Advertising in the United States was created when businesses wanted to attract customers by providing information about their product or service (Black, Hashimzade, and Myles). Advertising has been used for many centuries and was even used during the American War of Independence from 1775 to 1783. Companies used different advertising techniques, such as posters and signs, to provide consumers with information about their products and persuade them to buy American products. Before the war, Americans received their goods on ships from England. The American colonies won the war and became the United States of America. It was now important for Americans to build a strong American economy (Milton 9). Even today, Americans have a soft spot for anything that says “Made in America.” The economy thrives on consumerism, so if advertising attracts more businesses than Americans benefit too. Americans continue to benefit from the use of products and...... middle of paper ......dleton, Kent R., Robert Trager, and Bill F. Chamberlain. The law of public communication. 5th ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 2002. 299-341. Print.Milton, Bess. Advertisement. New York: Children's Press, 2004. 9. Print. Mitra, Anu, Mary Anne Raymond, and Christopher D. Hopkins. “Can consumers recognize misleading content in a media-rich online environment? » Psychology and Marketing 25.7 (2008): 655-674. Commercial source completed. ESBCO. Internet. October 27, 2010. pdfviewer?vid=4&hid=13&sid=6735641b-1986-4a51-857c-c7676ec5d556%40sessionmgr12>. NAD Magazine. The process of self-regulation of the advertising sector. BetterBusiness Office Council. March 8, 2010. The web. October 27, 2010..“The story of Pepsi Cola.” Pepsi. PepsiCo, and Web. October 15. 2010..