Is anyone else bothered by a recent shift in advertising to making statements about businesses without any proof or foundation and completely in error.

These include, "We can give better pricing because we are not obligated to stockholders." and "Better deals because our salespeople or on salary rather than commission."

These provide implication of unsupported myths that all businessmen are crooks and all salesmen unscrupulous.

From my experience, the only reason why folks might buy these claims is that the media has convinced the public of these ideas.

It's bad enough the "magic" is being destroyed as a concept by advertising, but ...

Like:

Walmart! Always Low Prices!

Yup don't know why anyone believes the hype. Caveat Emptor!

I don't think it's a shift. I suspect advertising today is on balance more honest than it's ever been. Listerine, for instance, had to retract the claim that it kills colds.

I also disagree with the "all" in your suggested implications.

This is hardly a "shift". this is the way ALL advertising has always been. There are actually much stricter laws in place than there used to be. I remember the old "more doctors smoke camels than any other brand".

I agree that this is not a shift; it has always been like this. There is one reason that advertisers do it - it works.

No it doesn't, advertisers use ambiguity because it works. Where there is no ambiguity there is no art. Advertisers use sorcery and are great artist.