Ethics in Fear-Invoking Advertising

         
                Each of these images are horrific but for different yet similar reasons. The abominable print advertisements were each intended to have gruesome auras via message strategies involving fears of consumers, however the ethics in using such a strategy is something to be debated. Personally, I believe judgement of the ethics regarding the message strategy of invoking fear can only be placed once considering what is being promoted.
               The advertisement on the left is a PSA for child safety at the pool while the advertisement on the right is for funeral services. While the graphic of the PSA is more visually offensive (note the expression of the little boy's face at the drowning figure) than the appearance of the funeral service advertisement copy- it is actually the intentions of the funeral service advertisement that are manipulative, cruel and morbid.

Which advertisement do you find more offensive? Do you think the fear strategy is justified? Are either advertisements ethical in their intentions?