ABSTRACT

This media ethics case study will evaluate whether or not it is ethical for organizations to raise money for charity by selling food items that a celebrity has licked. This will focus on the ad that Oreo created showing UK pop star, Lewis Capaldi, licking Oreos and selling them to the highest bidder in order to raise money for a fundraiser. The TARES Test will be used as a method of evaluating the truthfulness, authenticity, respect, equity, and social responsibility of Oreo for placing out this ad. I will also discuss Mill’s ethical philosophy to discuss if the end result of selling a celebrity’s personal items makes this advertisement ethical. The findings of this case study will discuss the ethics of these three questions:

1. Is using the status of a celebrity ethical to sell a product in a bid?

2. Does the organization that profits from the selling of the product negate the use of the celebrity to sell a product?

3. Does creating an unusual advertisement cause young people to want to mimic these actions and are there health concerns related to the advertisement?