Show INFORMED CONSUMERS CONSUl Attacks on advertising are nothing g new Fortu Fortu- Fortunately Fortunately natel its it's easy to refute such uch charges For years ears critics have been saying that advertising o othe corrupts the public taste that it is useless and unnecessary Others Other contend that it weakens corn competition petition b by y developing developing de de- velo I Ping consumer alt to loyalty loyally for particular products atu and companies This would seem to indicate that some sonIC firms arc are more successful in their advertising ing than others I But the argument that corn competition petition can be bc strengthened strength strength- cued ened b by penalizing those who sh o are alC successful at i it t isn't convincing j Commenting nh on a I proposal of the Federal Trade Commission to constrict advertising Justice John Marshall l Harlan of the thc Supreme Court wrote Undeniably Undeniably Un deniably advertising Ina may sometimes be bc used to create irrational brand preferences and mislead consumers as to the actual differences between products products prod prod- but hut it is ib very difficult to discover at what point advertising ceases to be p an aspect of healthy com corn petition It is not the Commissions Commission's function to decide decide de dc- de- de cide which lawful elements of the product or for the consumer should be he considered useful and which should be considered the thc symptoms of industrial sickness It is the consumer who must make the election through the exercise of his purchasing p power over This nta may Inay y be he only the view of one J Justice but we wc think he is on the right track Commercial advertising advertising advertising advertis advertis- ing serves es the essential purpose of informing consumers con con- consumers sumers of the choices open to them Any impairment impairment impair impair- ment of the channels conveying such information would damage the thc interest of the consuming public I |