Advertising in relation to culture, education and community responsibility

The propaganda billboards on the occasion of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Congress for the 2025-2030 term lit up the bustling atmosphere, trust and expectation, pride and will to rise of the Party Committee and people of the city.

The Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Advertising in 2025 marks an important step forward, placing advertising activities in connection with cultural development, education and community responsibility, towards a modern and humane media environment.

Expanding the social role of advertising

According to Deputy Director of the Department of Grassroots Culture, Family and Library (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) Nguyen Quoc Huy, the amended Law on Advertising applying a unified legal framework for both profit-making and non-profit advertising activities is a very significant change, demonstrating a step forward in legislative thinking on advertising.

A billboard advertising the 31st SEA Games on the streets of Hanoi during the city's hosting.

In the past, advertising was often understood as a tool for business, with the aim of making a profit. However, in practice, advertising is not only about selling products, but also about conveying messages, guiding behavior, and even spreading positive values in society.

The Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Advertising Law in 2025 has officially removed the distinction between profitable and non-profit advertising. This provision contributes to expanding the creative space for organizations, businesses and individuals when participating in propaganda and promotion activities for the common good, such as environmental protection, traffic safety, moral education or building the image of a civilized and modern Vietnam. "This is a very important step forward, laying the foundation for advertising to become a responsible social information channel, contributing to the construction of a healthy cultural environment in the new period," Mr. Huy affirmed.

From this approach, advertising gradually takes on the nature of a communication activity with the power to orient society. When oriented correctly, advertising has great power in orienting values and evoking positive behaviors in the community. Advertising campaigns for the community, such as promoting green lifestyles, protecting children in cyberspace, building a culture of behavior or honoring Vietnamese products all bring values beyond economic goals, contributing to the formation of civilized lifestyles and strengthening social trust.

Exhibition of propaganda posters to welcome the 16th Congress of Son La Provincial Party Committee.

In addition to its informative role, advertising is also a means of contributing to education, orienting lifestyles and cultural values in society, helping to spread ethical standards, arousing the spirit of humanity and civic responsibility. Encouraging advertising campaigns with positive content is also in line with the Party and State's orientation on developing cultural industries, in which advertising is considered an important part, both serving economic development and contributing to building Vietnamese people and cultural environment.

Thus, advertising is not only within the market category, but also becomes an element of the cultural industry, where each message carries educational and social value.

Spreading human values through each message

According to Mr. Nguyen Quoc Huy, the Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Advertising Law in 2025 has created a clearer legal foundation for encouraging advertising activities that serve the interests of the community, regardless of whether advertising is for profit or not. This is an important mechanism to expand the space for creativity and social responsibility in the advertising field.

The law also clearly stipulates the requirement that advertising content must be accurate, humane, not contrary to good customs and traditions and not misleading, thereby ensuring a positive value orientation in all communication activities. “For advertising for the community to truly spread and be sustainable, it is important to create a voluntary connection between businesses, media organizations and the creative community,” Mr. Huy further emphasized.

Businesses can link community advertising activities with sustainable development strategies, considering it as part of social responsibility. Press agencies, digital platforms, and content creators can proactively accompany and spread positive messages in creative, closer and more attractive forms to the public.

When the solutions are operated in harmony, community advertising will become an important part in building a healthy cultural environment, raising social awareness and promoting the role of advertising as a tool to serve the development of Vietnamese people in the new era.

Representing the business side, Chairman of the Vietnam Advertising Association Nguyen Truong Son said that if advertising is considered only for the purpose of selling products, it does not reflect the true nature and social responsibility of this industry. In fact, advertising businesses, especially in the field of outdoor advertising, have made many practical contributions to propaganda, education and community activities.

According to Mr. Son, most businesses spend 20% to 30% of their outdoor advertising space or time on non-profit purposes, such as promoting the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's policies, and promoting humanitarian programs and important national events. "For example, the A80 event celebrating the 80th anniversary of the founding of the country, the nationwide advertising system has played an extremely important role in spreading the image of Vietnam and the spirit of national solidarity."

According to the Chairman of the Vietnam Advertising Association, many businesses consider this as their own and voluntary responsibility, and no one is outside this common effort. With the development of technology, advertising on LED screens and social networking platforms also has a great advantage in speed, the ability to update and quickly spread authentic content, thereby contributing to the timely transmission of important messages of the country to the public.

However, Mr. Nguyen Truong Son also said that there are still some difficulties in administrative procedures, especially in large cities like Hanoi, where the licensing and renewal of outdoor advertising billboards are strictly controlled, leading to slow approval progress. He expects that when the Advertising Law and new decrees and guidelines take effect from January 1, 2026, the licensing process under the "one-stop" mechanism, clear deadlines for processing documents and all procedures being put online will help advertising activities be transparent, reduce the burden on businesses and create a healthy competitive environment.

The change in management thinking and advertising practice is opening up new spaces, with each campaign aiming for economic efficiency and contributing to spreading cultural, educational and humanistic values. When a unified legal framework combines the voluntary efforts of the business community, advertising is asserting its position as a responsible social media channel. When the voice of businesses blends with the interests of the community, advertising will truly become a bridge between the economy and culture, contributing to building the image of a modern, creative and compassionate Vietnam in the eyes of international friends.

HOAI THU

Source: https://nhandan.vn/quang-cao-trong-moi-lien-he-voi-van-hoa-giao-duc-va-trach-nhiem-cong-dong-post916348.html