We live in the golden age of advertisements. Never before have so many venues for product-slinging been available.

Advertisers have taken advantage of nearly everything — phones, the Internet, television, billboards and even bodies. Ad experts and consumers share conflicting ideas about whether these ads actually benefit the consumer.

“New media and tools such as the Internet, viral marketing and buzz marketing are becoming more important than traditional advertising tools such as TV, magazines or newspapers,” said Tanuja Singh, associate professor of marketing.

Consumers no longer see ads only on billboards or television. They build up in piles of junk mail and spam boxes, are seen on passing cars on the highway and the newest outlet may even take up forehead space.

Jerry Toth of Barberton, Ohio is selling his forehead for 30 days to the highest bidder on Ebay or for a “buy it now” price of $7,500.

Are these modern marketing ideas an invasion of advertising ethics?

Singh said, “Most advertising is done properly and ethically.”

When advertising companies make exaggerated claims, don’t care about their consumers, or market to consumers who are unable to reasonably examine a commercial the line of ethical advertisement is crossed.

A reasonable consumer is able to see advertising as commercial messages, Singh said.

However, children or the elderly may not be able to appropriately filter these messages. Children are particularly susceptible to ads because they are more likely to pay attention to the toy in the cereal box than the nutrition facts on the side.

Students and reasonable consumers, speak their minds.

Charles Wills, a senior English major, said ads have become a serious nuisance with the only helpful ones being classifieds.

He said advertisers are trying too hard and are becoming flashy and gimicky. Ads would be more beneficial if they concentrated more on why the product is good.

But is there also a positive side to commercial growth?

Senior communication major Asia Miles has hopes of becoming an advertising executive.

Commercials are a way to describe a product that might otherwise be too confusing or irrelevant for the consumer to take the time to research, she said.

Stephen Freitas, chief marketing officer for Outdoor Advertising Association of America, said advertising can be a useful tool for consumers.

Some of these new marketing ideas give consumers a wide variety of options, he said.

One of the new ad inventions are billboard trucks, which are billboards attached to moving vehicles, Freitas said.

This is a non-invasive way to advertise that reaches a wide target audience. Internet advertising, on the other hand, has no target audience and invades personal space, he said.

Dislike for the company may result due to such invasion and annoyance.

Karl Grzeszczak, a senior information systems major, said advertising goes too far when it extends outside public domain and into spam or telemarketing.

He said he once received seven calls in a day from America Online asking him to resubscribe until he finally spoke to a manger. The result: “I hate AOL.”