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Abstract:
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The main purpose of the study was to analyze the media aesthetic component of advertising communication and its violation of consumer rights in selected television advertisements. The study aimed to analyze the application of media aesthetics elements in select television advertisements in Kenya; examine consumer protection regulations put in place to guard against violation of consumer rights; and find out how, if at all, the media aesthetic elements in these television advertisements violate consumer rights. The media aesthetics theory and media literacy model by Zettl formed the study’s theoretical framework. The study chose five advertisements in different categories. These advertisements were purposively selected based on their commercial transaction. Data was collected by use of textual analysis for the advertisements and Focus Group Discussion. The qualitative data was analyzed for the aesthetics elements application, the observance of consumer protection regulations, and ways that they may be found to violate consumer rights. The findings indicated that the building blocks for contextual aesthetics have been applied in the advertisements. The focus group discussion (FGD) pointed to a direct link between the aesthetic elements and consumer patronage. The study concluded that contextual media aesthetics are critical building blocks for media literacy, the Consumer Federation of Kenya (COFEK), though formed with good intentions, has not succeeded in championing people’s rights and consumers agree that there is a growing number of deceptive advertisements. The study recommended that there is need for media literacy among consumers. |