Purpose: This study reviewed the literature on advertising ethics and identified research gaps to provide scope for future work. Design/Methodology/Approach : The relevant literature was identified through a search of Scopus and Web of Science. The final sample of 174 articles was carefully read to determine dimensions and variants, which were used in morphological analysis to construct a cross-consistency matrix and obtain a comprehensive understanding of the domain of advertising ethics. The cross-consistency matrix was used to identify explored and unexplored areas of study.

Findings: A comprehensive morphological analysis framework, encompassing six dimensions and 27 variants of advertising ethics research was constructed, leading to the identification of 87 research gaps. Practical

Implications: Managers can use the MA framework as a guide for understanding advertising ethics and acting accordingly. Researchers can utilize the framework and the identified research gaps to extend the literature. Originality/

Value: This study is the first in the advertising ethics literature to construct a morphological analysis framework. A comprehensive literature search was undertaken by searching both Scopus and Web of Science databases.

1. Ad Standards. (2025). 2024 Review of operations. https://adstandards.com.au/article/2024-review-of-operations/
2. Advertising Standards Authority. (2012). Public perceptions of harm and offence in UK advertising. https://www.asa.org.uk/static/uploaded/df0140c1-348b-48c4-81334d8ce1cfd7bb.pdf
3. Advertising Standards Authority. (2025). ASA and CAP annual report 2024. https://www.asa.org.uk/static/119ff15c-e6ce-4e4f-a712f6806380909a/ASA-CAP-2024-Annual-Report.pdf
4. Aiolfi, S., Bellini, S., & Pellegrini, D. (2021). Data-driven digital advertising: Benefits and risks of online behavioral advertising. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 49(7), 1089–1110. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJRDM-10-2020-0410
5. Alam, M. M., Aliyu, A., & Shahriar, S. M. (2019). Presenting women as sexual objects in marketing communications: Perspective of morality, ethics and religion. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 10(3), 911–927. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIMA-03-2017-0032
6. Andersen, K., & Paas, L. J. (2014). Extremely thin models in print ads: The dark sides. Journal of Marketing Communications, 20(6), 447–464. https://doi.org/10.1080/13527266.2012.723027
7. Armstrong, G. M., Gurol, M. N., & Russ, F. A. (1979). Detecting and correcting deceptive advertising. Journal of Consumer Research, 6(3), 237–246. https://doi.org/10.1086/208765
8. Auxtova, K., Brennan, M., & Dunne, S. (2021). To be or not to be governed like that? Harmful and/or offensive advertising complaints in the United Kingdom's (self-) regulatory context. Journal of Business Ethics, 172(3), 425–446. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-020-04480-x
9. Aylsworth, T. (2022). Autonomy and manipulation: Refining the argument against persuasive advertising. Journal of Business Ethics, 175(4), 689–699. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-020-04590-6
10. Bae, S. Y., Rudd, N., & Bilgihan, A. (2015). Offensive advertising in the fashion industry: Sexual objectification and ethical judgments of consumers. Journal of Global Fashion Marketing, 6(3), 236–249. https://doi.org/10.1080/20932685.2015.1032317
11. Bakir, A., & Vitell, S. J. (2010). The ethics of food advertising targeted toward children: Parental viewpoint. Journal of Business Ethics, 91(2), 299–311. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-009-0084-2
12. Baliga, A. J., Chawla, V., Sunder, V. M., Ganesh, L. S., & Sivakumaran, B. (2021). Service failure and recovery in B2B markets – A morphological analysis. Journal of Business Research, 131, 763–781. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.09.025
13. Belanche, D. (2019). Ethical limits to the intrusiveness of online advertising formats: A critical review of better ads standards. Journal of Marketing Communications, 25(7), 685–701. https://doi.org/10.1080/13527266.2018.1562485
14. Boerman, S. C., & Smit, E. G. (2022). Advertising and privacy: An overview of past research and a research agenda. International Journal of Advertising, 42(1), 60–68. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2022.2122251
15. Borau, S., & Nepomuceno, M. V. (2019). The self-deceived consumer: Women's emotional and attitudinal reactions to the airbrushed thin ideal in the absence versus presence of disclaimers. Journal of Business Ethics, 154(2), 325–340. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-016-3413-2
16. Brüns, J. D., & Meißner, M. (2023). Show me that you are advertising: Visual salience of products attenuates detrimental effects of persuasion knowledge activation in influencer advertising. Computers in Human Behavior, 148, Article ID 107891. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2023.107891
17. Buvár, Á., & Orosz, G. (2024). Adult-focused sharenting does not pay out: Sharenting in sponsored posts elicits negative ethical attitudes if the product is adult-related, but not when it is child-related. Journal of Marketing Communications, 30(8), 1039–1059. https://doi.org/10.1080/13527266.2023.2208122
18. Bykov, I. A., Cherkashchenko, T. A., Dorskii, A. Y., & Kaverina, E. A. (2015). Government regulation of advertising in the Eurasian Economic Union: Contradictions of public policy and advertising ethics. International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, 5(Special Issue), 116–120. https://www.econjournals.com/index.php/ijefi/article/view/1598/pdf
19. Campbell, C., & Grimm, P. E. (2018). The challenges native advertising poses: Exploring potential Federal Trade Commission responses and identifying research needs. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 38(1), 110–123. https://doi.org/10.1177/0743915618818576
20. Charry, K. M., & Demoulin, N. T. (2012). Behavioural evidence for the effectiveness of threat appeals in the promotion of healthy food to children. International Journal of Advertising, 31(4), 773–794. https://doi.org/10.2501/IJA-31-4-773-794
21. Chowdhury, R. M., Arli, D., & Septianto, F. (2024). How religiosity affects attitudes toward brands that utilize LGBTQ-themed advertising. Journal of Business Ethics, 193(1), 63–88. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-023-05578-8 22) Cunningham, P. H. (1999). Ethics of advertising. In J. P. Jones (ed.), The advertising business (pp. 499–513). Sage.
22. Daems, K., De Pelsmacker, P., & Moons, I. (2019). Advertisers' perceptions regarding the ethical appropriateness of new advertising formats aimed at minors. Journal of Marketing Communications, 25(4), 438–456. https://doi.org/10.1080/13527266.2017.1409250
23. de Kerviler, G., Ardelet, C., & Slavich, B. (2022). Ethical judgments of sexualized ads featuring women: The role of identification with feminine archetypes. Journal of Business Research, 142, 899–913. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.12.004
24. De Pelsmacker, P., Diehl, S., Neijens, P., & Terlutter, R. (2023). Editorial: Perspectives on advancing the advertising field for academics and practitioners. Celebrating 40 years of the International Journal of Advertising. International Journal of Advertising, 42(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2022.2131279
25. Dhanabhakyam, M., & Geetha, S. (2006). Ethics in advertisements and its impact. Indian Journal of Marketing, 36(8). https://indianjournalofmarketing.com/index.php/ijom/article/view/34376
26. Dickinson-Delaporte, S., & Kerr, G. (2014). Agency-generated research of consumer-generated content. Journal of Advertising Research, 54(4), 469–478. https://doi.org/10.2501/JAR-54-4-469-478
27. Donovan, R. J., Fielder, L. J., Ouschan, R., & Ewing, M. (2011a). Self-regulation of motor vehicle advertising: Is it working in Australia? Accident Analysis & Prevention, 43(3), 631–636. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2010.10.003
28. Donovan, R. J., Fielder, L., & Ouschan, R. (2011b). Do motor vehicle advertisements that promote vehicle performance attributes also promote undesirable driving behaviour? Journal of Public Affairs, 11(1), 25–34. https://doi.org/10.1002/pa.373
29. Drumwright, M. (2018). Ethical issues in marketing, advertising, and sales. In E. Heath, B. Kaldis, & A. M. Marcoux (eds.), The Routledge companion to business ethics (pp. 506–522). Routledge.
30. Drumwright, M. E., & Murphy, P. E. (2009). The current state of advertising ethics: Industry and academic perspectives. Journal of Advertising, 38(1), 83–108. https://doi.org/10.2753/JOA0091-3367380106
31. Federal Trade Commission. (2009). Guides concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising. https://www.ftc.gov/sites/default/files/attachments/press-releases/ftc-publishes-final-guides-governing-endorsements-testimonials/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf
32. Federal Trade Commission. (2023). Annual performance report for fiscal year 2022 and annual performance plan for fiscal years 2023 to 2024. https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/p859900fy22apr_fy23-24app.pdf
33. Ferdousi, J. S., Bradley, G. L., Carlini, J., & Seekis, V. (2024). Navigating ideals: Effects of curvy and thin models in Instagram fashion advertising on body type preferences and clothing purchase intentions. Young Consumers, 26(1), 136–149. https://doi.org/10.1108/YC-04-2024-2047
34. Fischbach, S., & Zarzosa, J. (2019). Consumers' perceptions of native advertisements: Exploring the impact of ethics and ad trust. Business & Professional Ethics Journal, 38(3), 275–296. http://www.jstor.org/stable/45217149
35. Friedmann, E., Weiss-Sidi, M., & Solodoha, E. (2024). Unveiling impact dynamics: Discriminatory brand advertisements, stress response, and the call for ethical marketing practices. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 79, Article ID 103851. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2024.103851
36. Goel, A., Ganesh, L. S., & Kaur, A. (2019). Sustainability integration in the management of construction projects: A morphological analysis of over two decades' research literature. Journal of Cleaner Production, 236, Article ID 117676. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.117676
37. Gupta, P., Srivastava, R., Jain, S., & Jain, S. P. (2024). The ethics of unhealthy food and beverage advertising to children: A bibliometric analysis and future research agenda. American Business Review, 27(2), Article no. 14. https://doi.org/10.37625/abr.27.2.706-774
38. Hagenbuch, D. (2019). Do dissonant ad visuals cause consumers to discount prescription drug side effects? Health Marketing Quarterly, 36(4), 337–353. https://doi.org/10.1080/07359683.2019.1680117
39. Jae, H., & DelVecchio, D. S. (2022). Aliterate consumers' processing of drug risk information in direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising. Journal of Global Marketing, 35(2), 115–132. https://doi.org/10.1080/08911762.2021.1939470
40. Javed, S., Husain, U., & Pathak, N. (2021). Relevance of financial service advertisements in investment decisions and purchase of financial products: Evidence from the Indian insurance sector. Indian Journal of Marketing, 51(9), 41–55. https://doi.org/10.17010/ijom/2021/v51/i9/166163
41. Jesson, J., Matheson, L., & Lacey, F. M. (2011). Doing your literature review: Traditional and systematic techniques. SAGE Publications Ltd. https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/doing-your-literature-review/book233413
42. John, J., & D'Abreo, J. (2017). Effectiveness of sexual imagery in advertisements and influence on purchasing behaviour of consumers in Mumbai: A study across genders and generations. Indian Journal of Marketing, 47(3), 29–42. https://doi.org/10.17010/ijom/2017/v47/i3/111421
43. Kazi, R., Singh, A., & Sharma, A. (2018). The relationship between perceived ad morality and behavioral intentions exploring the mediation effect: Indian women's perspective using structural equation modeling. Prabandhan: Indian Journal of Management, 11(3), 7–23. https://doi.org/10.17010/pijom/2018/v11i3/122074
44. Kim, W., Ryoo, Y., Drumwright, M., & Yoon, S. (2023). Hypocrisy induction in advertising. Journal of Advertising, 52(3), 349–368. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.2022.2043793
45. Koku, P. S. (2021). The legal and ethical dimensions of direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs: The case of Pfizer and Lipitor in the United States. Health Marketing Quarterly, 38(1), 23–34. https://doi.org/10.1080/07359683.2021.1947079
46. Laczniak, G. R., & Murphy, P. E. (1993). Ethical marketing decisions: The higher road. Pearson.
47. Mehta, K., Coveney, J., Ward, P., Magarey, A., Spurrier, N., & Udell, T. (2010). Australian children's views about food advertising on television. Appetite, 55(1), 49–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2010.03.011
48. Mehta, R., & Bharadwaj, A. (2021). Food advertising targeting children in India: Analysis and implications. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 59, Article ID 102428. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2020.102428
49. Mogull, S. A., & Balzhiser, D. (2015). Pharmaceutical companies are writing the script for health consumerism. Communication Design Quarterly, 3(4), 35–49. https://doi.org/10.1145/2826972.2826976
50. Mohideen, A. K. (2009). Ethical values of advertising in print and electronic media (A study on fairness products in Visakhapatnam City). Indian Journal of Marketing, 39(12), 29–32. https://indianjournalofmarketing.com/index.php/ijom/article/view/37075
51. Moraes, K., Kerrigan, F., & McCann, R. (2020). Positive shock: A consumer ethical judgement perspective. Journal of Business Ethics, 165(4), 735–751. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-018-4092-y
52. Mpinganjira, M., & Maduku, D. K. (2019). Ethics of mobile behavioral advertising: Antecedents and outcomes of perceived ethical value of advertised brands. Journal of Business Research, 95, 464–478. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.07.037
53. Murphy, P. E., Laczniak, G. R., Bowie, N. E., & Klein, T. A. (2005). Ethical marketing (Basic ethics in action) (1st ed.). Pearson.
54. Nissenbaum, H. (2009). Privacy in context: Technology, policy, and the integrity of social life. Stanford University Press. https://www.sup.org/books/law/privacy-context
55. Ramesh, A., & Chawla, V. (2022). Chatbots in marketing: A literature review using morphological and co-occurrence analyses. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 57(3), 472–496. https://doi.org/10.1177/10949968221095549
56. Ridley, D. (2012). The literature review: A step-by-step guide for students (2nd ed.). Sage Publications Ltd. https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/the-literature-review/book236719
57. Rinallo, D., Basuroy, S., Wu, R., & Jeon, H. J. (2013). The media and their advertisers: Exploring ethical dilemmas in product coverage decisions. Journal of Business Ethics, 114(3), 425–441. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-012-1353-z
58. Ritchey, T. (2011). Wicked problems – social messes: Decision support modelling with morphological analysis. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-19653-9
59. Ritchey, T. (2015). Principles of cross-consistency assessment in morphological modelling. Acta Morphologica Generalis, 4(2), 1–20. https://www.swemorph.com/amg/pdf/amg-4-2-2015.pdf
60. Ritchey, T. (2018). General morphological analysis as a basic scientific modelling method. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 126, 81–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2017.05.027
61. Rozendaal, E., & Buijzen, M. (2023). Children's vulnerability to advertising: An overview of four decades of research (1980s–2020s). International Journal of Advertising, 42(1), 78–86. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2022.2135349
62. Sandelowski, M., Docherty, S., & Emden, C. (1997). Qualitative metasynthesis: Issues and techniques. Research in Nursing & Health, 20(4), 365–371. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1098-240X(199708)20:4%3C365::AID-NUR9%3E3.0.CO;2-E
63. Sathyanarayana, S., Gargesa, S., & Bhavya, N. (2019). The effectiveness of the celebrity advertisement process and its impact on buying intention. Indian Journal of Marketing, 49(3), 50–65. https://doi.org/10.17010/ijom/2019/v49/i3/142146
64. Shabbir, H. A., Maalouf, H., Griessmair, M., Colmekcioglu, N., & Akhtar, P. (2019). Exploring perceptions of advertising ethics: An informant-derived approach. Journal of Business Ethics, 159(3), 727–744. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-018-3784-7
65. Shakerian, M., Jahangiri, M., Alimohammadlou, M., Nami, M., & Choobineh, A. (2019). Individual cognitive factors affecting unsafe acts among Iranian industrial workers: An integrative meta-synthesis interpretive structural modeling (ISM) approach. Safety Science, 120, 89–98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2019.06.041
66. Sheehan, K. (2004). Controversies in contemporary advertising. Sage Publications, Inc. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781452233130
67. Singh, H. (2008). Ethics in advertisements & its impact on consumer psychology: A study of Patiala region. Prabandhan: Indian Journal of Management, 1(2), 18–22. https://doi.org/10.17010/pijom/2008/v1i2/64664
68. Singh, S., & Ahlluwalia, S. (2017). Comparing perceptions of different e-advertising formats. Indian Journal of Marketing, 47(9), 49–65. https://doi.org/10.17010/ijom/2017/v47/i9/118093
69. Sivathanu, B. (2017). Food marketing and its impact on adolescents' food choices. Indian Journal of Marketing, 47(8), 46–60. https://doi.org/10.17010/ijom/2017/v47/i8/117432
70. Smith, P. K., Mahdavi, J., Carvalho, M., Fisher, S., Russell, S., & Tippett, N. (2008). Cyberbullying: Its nature and impact in secondary school pupils. The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 49(4), 376–385. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2007.01846.x
71. Srivastava, R., & Gupta, P. (2021). Research on unhealthy food and beverages advertising targeting children: Systematic literature review and directions for future research. Australian Journal of Management, 47(4), 749–772. https://doi.org/10.1177/03128962211059579
72. Srivastava, V., & Mishra, S. K. (2012). A study on the effectiveness of internet advertisements. Indian Journal of Marketing, 42(6), 37–46. https://www.indianjournalofmarketing.com/index.php/ijom/article/view/37547
73. Sunder, V. M., Ganesh, L. S., & Marathe, R. R. (2018). A morphological analysis of research literature on Lean Six Sigma for services. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 38(1), 149–182. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOPM-05-2016-0273
74. Sunder, V. M., Ganesh, L. S., & Marathe, R. R. (2019). Dynamic capabilities: A morphological analysis framework and agenda for future research. European Business Review, 31(1), 25–63. https://doi.org/10.1108/EBR-03-2018-0060
75. The Advertising Standards Council of India. (2025). Annual complaints report 2024–25. https://www.ascionline.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Digital-ASCI-Annual-Complaints-Report-2024-2025.pdf
76. Theodorakis, I. G., & Painesis, G. (2022). Ad eroticism from a psychological distance perspective: Investigating its effects in light of consumers' sex, ethical judgments, and moral attentiveness. Journal of Business Research, 142, 524–539. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.01.001
77. Toti, J.-F., & Sánchez Romero, A. M. (2023). Understanding how ethical claims in advertising affect subjective ambivalence toward buying ethical products. European Journal of Marketing, 57(12), 3125–3161. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJM-11-2020-0831
78. Wojdynski, B. W., & Golan, G. J. (2016). Native advertising and the future of mass communication. American Behavioral Scientist, 60(12), 1403–1407. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764216660134
79. Zimand-Sheiner, D., Ryan, T., Kip, S. M., & Lahav, T. (2020). Native advertising credibility perceptions and ethical attitudes: An exploratory study among adolescents in the United States, Turkey and Israel. Journal of Business Research, 116, 608–619. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.06.020