Misuse of the emblems, in particular for commercial purposes, is widespread – The companies that paid for this full-page advertisement, which appeared in a Mauritian newspaper, used the ICRC logo without permission in order to entice potential clients by appealing to their humanitarian sensibilities. While such misuse does not usually have serious or direct consequences, it can in the long run dilute the meaning of the emblem and reduce its ability to protect people in wartime.