Is advertising the ultimate means to inform and assist us in our daily decision-making or is it simply an overly powerful form of massive deception used by businesses to persuade their prospects and customers from buying 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 “drenched in this cultural rain of marketing communications” through television, the press, cinema, and the Internet. , etc. (Hackley and Kitchen, 1999). But if thirty years ago marketing communication tools were mainly used as a tactical means centered on the product, today the promotional mix, and in particular advertising, is focused on signs and semiotics. Some argue that marketers' efforts end up "transforming the economy into a symbol so that it means something to the consumer" (Williamson, cited in Anonymous, Marketing Communications, 2006: 569). A crucial consequence is that many contemporary advertisements are “selling ourselves” (ibid.). The above-mentioned process is influenced by the commodification of products and confusion in consumers' perception of companies' offerings. In order to differentiate and position their products and/or services, today's companies resort to advertising that is sometimes considered not only in poor taste, but also as deliberately intrusive and manipulative. The issue of bad advertising is so timely that organizations like Adbusters have adopted the tactic of subvertization, revealing the true intention behind modern advertising. Editor-in-Chief of Adbusters magazine, Kalle Lason, commented on the corporate branding communications activities of big companies: "We know that oil companies are not really nature-friendly and that oil companies 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 communications strategy focused on ethics and social responsibility, the concepts of total quality and customer relationship building become elusive. However, there cannot be a simple and clear ethical formula for marketing communications. ADVERTISING – VALUABLE INFORMATION OR VICIOUS MANIPULATION? To gain insight into consumer perceptions of the role of advertising, we reviewed a number of articles and conducted four surveys. in-depth interviews. A number of research papers reach opposing conclusions. These vary from those stating that "the ethics of a company's behavior is an important consideration when making a purchasing decision" and that consumers "will reward ethical behavior by being willing to pay higher prices for the product." product of this company” (Creyer and Ross Jr..