Is advertising the ultimate means of informing us and helping us in our daily decision making or is it just an overly powerful form of mass deception used by companies to persuade their prospects and customers to purchase products and services they don't need? Consumers in the global village are exposed to an increasing number of advertising messages, and advertising spending is increasing accordingly. It would not be an exaggeration to conclude that we are "soaked in this cultural rain of marketing communications" through TV, print, cinema, the Internet. , etc. (Hackley and Kitchen, 1999). But if thirty years ago marketing communication tools were mainly used as product-focused tactical means, now the promotional mix, and in particular advertising, is focused on signs and semiotics. Some argue that marketers' efforts are ultimately "transforming the economy into a symbol so that it means something to the consumer" (Williamson, quoted in Anonymous, Marketing Communications, 2006: 569). A critical consequence is that many contemporary advertisements are "selling us ourselves" (ibid.). The above-mentioned process is influenced by the commodification of products and the blurring of consumer perceptions of companies' offerings. Companies today use advertising to differentiate and position their products and/or services, which is sometimes considered not only in bad taste, but also deliberately intrusive and manipulative. The problem of bad advertising is so current that organizations like Adbusters have embraced the tactic of subversion, revealing the true purpose behind modern advertising. Kalle Lason, editor-in-chief of Adbusters magazine, commented on the communication activities of large companies for corporate image building: "We know that oil companies are not really friendly to nature, and tobacco companies don't really care about ethics" (Arnold, 2001). On the other hand, “ethics and social responsibility are important determinants of long-term gains such as survival, long-term profitability and competitiveness of the organization” (Singhapakdi, 1999). Without a communication strategy that revolves around ethics and social responsibility, the concepts of total quality and building relationships with customers become elusive. However, there may be no simple and clear ethical formula for marketing communications. ADVERTISING: VALUABLE INFORMATION OR VICIOUS MANIPULATION? To better understand consumer perceptions of the role of advertising, we reviewed a series of articles and conducted four surveys. in-depth interviews. Numerous research articles reach opposite conclusions. These range from those stating that "the ethicality of a company's behavior is an important consideration during the purchasing decision" and that consumers "will reward ethical behavior with a willingness to pay higher prices for that company's product" company" (Creyer and Ross Jr..