A Study of Pakistani Advertisements With respect To PEMRA’s Guideline on The Use Of Nationalistic And Religious Symbols

Abstract

Advertising industries all over the world operate under some form of regulations. These may be ethical guidelines formulated by industry professionals themselves or by governments to set a uniform standard for the content produced by advertising practitioners, to govern the advertising industry and to keep a check on the content. The focus of these guidelines is on ensuring fair practices in advertisements. In Pakistan, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority is responsible for regulating and monitoring the content shown on the electronic media which includes advertisements. Rule 14(8) of PEMRA’s Code of Conduct prohibits the exploitation of religious and nationalistic symbols in advertisements. This study establishes that despite this clear rule, advertisers have been continuously using both symbols in advertisements, especially those shown on a national occasion, such as the Pakistan Day or the Independence Day of the country, or on a religious occasion for instance, the month of Ramazan.