Deceitful financial infomercial tars entire advertising industry.(Survey)

Advertising Age, May, 2009 by Crain, Rance

Byline: Rance Crain

The good news is that cable TV shows like "Mad Men'' have raised the profile of ad agencies among the general public. The bad news is that such programs have made ad agencies easier to blame for some of the sins of the world.

Case in point: A survey by the Harris Poll shows that more than two-thirds of American adults believe ad agencies bear at least some blame for the economic crisis because they caused people to buy things they couldn't afford. Well over half of the 2,220 respondents also said print and TV caused people to overindulge.

Interestingly, younger people gave agencies and media more of a pass. Three-quarters of people 55 and over say ad agencies have some responsibility, compared with three in five 18- to...

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