Why the Ad Biz Should Denounce Pitchman Trump

At a recent meeting, I heard an advertising professional suggest that Tic Tac probably should not have rejected Donald Trump’s recent unsolicited (and unpaid) endorsement of its breath mints. “Some of Trump’s supporters might like Tic Tacs,” he admonished.

Trump, you probably recall, identified Tic Tac in a 2005 videotape as a perfect product to freshen the breath before forcibly kissing and sexually assaulting women. Tic Tac, having been forcibly dragged into this horror show, tweeted that Trump’s remarks were “inappropriate and unacceptable.”

Following Tic Tac’s example, I need to say I find it inappropriate and unacceptable to suggest that brands’ proper role in society is to say only those things that all their potential customers want to hear. To the contrary, in this age of social media and societal interdependence, the entire marketing industry—brands and agencies—are recognizing an obligation to respect truth, reject lies and do something positive to sustain and advance the culture.

I’m deeply involved, of course, in advertising and marketing. I started an early custom publishing business in the ’80s. I co-founded a well known agency 17 years ago. I acknowledge that I do marketing these days, not politics. But my roots are in journalism and I hope I stand for a thing or two, including that marketing stories have to be true and marketing should add value to people’s lives, not sell stuff by any means possible.

Trump’s been called a “pitchman.” As a marketing guy, I find him unfit even for that job. I have observed he is selling himself with lies, grievances, prejudice, sexual aggression and fear. In the process, he is subtracting value from all our lives.

Given the narratives that have been spun and the true stories that have emerged from the 2016 election campaign, I believe I have a responsibility as a marketer to note that Donald Trump is not a guy I’d take on as a client, nor buy a used casino from, nor hire, nor believe about much of anything.

I certainly wouldn’t elect him our president.

I’m urging all my fellow pitchpeople to join me (and Tic Tac) in denouncing Trump’s sales strategy.

I’m asking this not because I believe anyone cares or should care what the ad business thinks about politics, but because I believe everyone should speak up in this extraordinary election year. Those of us in the business of pitching should at least speak up to reject pitchmen who lie and prey on others to advance their brands.

So I’m speaking up: I’m with her. I’m inalterably opposed to him.

Whatever else you do, I urge you to speak up, too, by voting on November 8th.

(To see the views of two other outfits that are usually silent about presidential choices but chose to speak up about Trump, see USA Today’s warning to Americans not to support Donald J. Trump and The Atlantic’s detailed denunciation of Trump.)