Article 6: Ethical Advertising in the Meme Age. 6/7

Phoenix Canada, a pharmaceutical reseller has used the popular Squid Games character to convey that not using their service could be a detrimental as playing Squid Games.

Using memes doesn’t have to mean exploiting its creators. Ethical alternatives exist—and they often produce better results.

License the Image

Many creators are happy to license their work for fair compensation. Licensing provides:

• Legal certainty

• Creative collaboration

• Brand goodwill

Crocodile Dundee. Now that is a name I haven't heard in a while. The famous line from the movie is, 'That's not a knife. That's a knife." So of course you can just substitute anything and use their images in your advertising. That's not an ad. That's an abomination.

Commission Original Work

Brands can commission meme-style visuals that evoke popular culture without stealing it. This supports artists and avoids any risk.

Partner With Creators

Creator partnerships turn memes into collaboration rather than extraction. Everyone benefits.

When the company doesn't even get the concept of the meme, it makes it even more pathetic. The idea is that Fred here, from Scooby Doo is unmasking the villain. Which Chunks Tech volunteered to be, not only in the meme, but in real life.

Build Culture, Don’t Parasite It

Relevance is earned through participation, not appropriation.

The Business Case

Ethical practices reduce legal risk, improves brand trust, and supports sustainable creativity.