The rather cynical quote above by American entertainer Will Rogers sums up advertising pretty well, almost. We are certainly inclined to purchase a product we don't need if it is marketed well enough. Take, for example, this article written by Kate Taylor for Business Insider in 2016: Coke and Pepsi's Bottled Water Strategy (businessinsider.com). While tap water in The United States is generally considered safe to consume and is far less expensive than bottled water, Americans spent thirty-one BILLION dollars on bottled water in 2018 (Felton, 2019). The soft drink industry has absolutely used advertising to convince the public to purchase something they do not need. However, advertising is not just convincing the public to buy a product they do not need. Advertising is an art (What Does Advertising, 1973). Advertising is a science (What Does Advertising, 1973). Advertising is a business (What Does Advertising, 1973). Most importantly, advertising is a social institution (What Does Advertising, 1973). As a social institution, advertising professionals have an ethical obligation to market responsibly. Along with embracing diversity, one of the best ways to engage in ethical advertising is by employing a Corporate Social Responsibility Perspective (Bonsu, 2020). This article, written by Mo Ghoneim in 2019 for Forbes, explains in great detail how Corporate Social Responsibility benefits both businesses and consumers. Why Corporate Social Responsibility Matters (forbes.com)

Advertising isn't always used to sell the public a product. The four examples below demonstrate how advertising has been used to contribute to society.