Archive for Public Health
A Collection of Responsible Advertising
Posted by: | CommentsWhile browsing the web today, I came across an amazing site that archieves hundreds of socially responsible ads. Some of them are shocking, some sad, some funny, but most get the point across in my opinion.
http://www.act-responsible.org/public/
I would have posted some of my favorites here, however the website does not allow you to copy and paste the photos elsewhere.
In particular my favorite is on the home page; it is an ad for the International Foundation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Socities. It depends a white and a black hand interwoven with “discrimination the end is in your hands” written across the fingers. I personally think this is an incredibally powerful message. The black skin against white skin is striking in itself. And furthermore, the messaeg is powerful as well since discrimination is still a problem plauging our nation.
Check out their creative gallery, it has tons of great ads!
Do Advertisers Have The Flu Bug?
Posted by: | CommentsThis year, the world witnessed a major pandemic of a type of swine influenza called H1N1. This outbreak of the swine flu has caused consumers to be more concerned about getting a flu vaccine and taking preventative steps to counteract the spread of the virus.
Yet as fears of the swine flu increase, so do the number of flu prevention advertisements, especially within household cleaning product categories like soap and antibacterial cleaners. Brands like Dial, Purell, and Lysol have all released marketing efforts aimed at educating consumers on flu prevention (see the Wall Street Journal article).
Other campaigns have focused on vaccine preventions. Take this Walgreens TV spot centered on the importance of receiving the flu vaccine:
This ad features Walgreens CEO advocating early flu vaccination to protect your loved ones. This ad would appeal to those consumers who value their health during the cold and flu season. Walgreens positions their brand as a helping partner to help consumers fight the flu. The spot uses appeals like ease of effort with convenient hours and days of business. Using Walgreens’s CEO, a pharmacist himself, increases the credibility of the advertisement.
Some bloggers and consumers, however, feel that the exploitation of consumer fear of getting sick is “quite a sleazy course of conduct” ( see the Wall Street Journal article). Dean Crutchfield, an independent branding consultant, believes marketers should donate resources to school and hospitals instead of increasing their marketing budgets. These actions create a sense of benevolence and charity around their brand.
This sense of goodwill is exactly what brands like Walgreens are doing. Walgreens partnered with Dr. Oz from the Oprah show to educate about preventing the flu and committed to distributing 1 million dollars worth of flu shots to those in need. Take a look at their feature on Dr. Oz’s show:
Other brands are taking similar steps to provide sanitizers and cleaning products to schools and hospitals in need.
There will always be those critics who say the flu vaccine is unnecessary or even harmful. But with 14 to 34 million cases of H1N1 and 2,500 to 6,000 H1N1-related deaths in just seven months of 2009 ( see more statistics at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) any preventative step could be seen as necessary. Advertisers can help keep the flu at bay by playing a role in the education and prevention of the swine flu for consumers. Now that’s what I call a clean bill of health.
What do you think: is it ethical for advertisers to market swine flu prevention-related products and services?
Secondhand Smoke PSA
Posted by: | CommentsCreated by Denver, Colorado-based agency Cactus, this anti secondhand smoke campaign was created for the State Tobacco Education & Prevention Partnership (STEPP). The aim of this spot was to send a clear message to parents about the potentially dangerous affects that secondhand smoke can have on children.
This spot beautifully illustrates how poisonous secondhand smoke penetrates all those that get in its path. Using a novel concept of ravens to portray the pathogens released into the air is sure to grab the attention of many. The spot also uses a fear appeal to make sure the message hits home with parents.
Check it out:
I’d like to hear what y’all have to say about this spot. Typically, I don’t think fear appeals work, but in this case I think the use is very effective.
Bring Change 2 Mind
Posted by: | Comments
“1 in 6 adults and almost 1 in 10 children suffer from a diagnosable mental illness. Yet, for many, the stigma associated with the illness, can be as great a challenge as the disease itself. This is where the misconceptions stop. This is where bias comes to an end. This is where we change lives. Because this is where we Bring Change 2 Mind” (BringChange2Mind.org)
The “Bring Change 2 Mind” Campaign
Headed by Glenn Close and three mental health organizations, this campaign’s goal is to remove the negative stigma and misconceptions associated with individuals suffering from mental illness.
Directed by Ron Howard, the first PSA features Glenn Close and her sister who suffers from bipolar disorder. As people walk through Grand Central Terminal, their shirts reveal what others fail to see at first glance, their mental illness. What makes this ad effective is not the label on the person suffering from a mental illness, but the person standing next to them. For instance, one man’s shirt says “Post traumatic stress disorder,” while the shirt on the person standing next to him says, “Battle buddy.”
This ad parallels our discussion on attitudes, specifically forming and changing these attitudes. The goal of this campaign is to change the stigma linked to individuals suffering from a mental illness. Since these attitudes are primarily built around negative cognitions or beliefs, the objective of the campaign is to inform the public about mental illness, thus stimulating more positive associations with these individuals.
The Children ARE Watching
Posted by: | CommentsI saw this ad in church while listening to a sermon on parenting. I am still watching my behavior…
Where are these ads in the US and why is the US government not more active in promoting social values?
Advertising done well makes poeple think, change their attitudes, and can ultimately affect behavior. What did you show a child today?
Walgreens’ Health Screening Bus Tour
Posted by: | CommentsUnfortunately I can’t find the advertisement I just saw on TV but keep your eye out for the commercial about Walgreens’ Health Screening Bus Tour. Along with AARP, they are performing “2.5 million free health screenings for early detection and prevention of diseases, as well as health education, with a special emphasis on underserved areas. The total value of the screenings to be administered over the course of the tour is estimated at over $60 million”. Walgreens and AARP are being smart in how they go about advertising this. Remember the Cherrios commercial where the grandson and grandpa discuss the grandpa’s cholesterol and the little boy treats his elder’s health tests as though they were actually tests he either passed or failed just like tests in his elementary school? Just the same, in the Walgreens commercial, the little boy asks whether or not his elder’s health test was passed. Not only is Walgreens encouraging the public to take an important step in getting these tests run, but they are providing the service for free and publicizing it in a lighthearted yet caring manner. Considering the economy and the growing concern for health care currently, Walgreens and AARP are being very responsible with their advertising; yes, they are trying to attract consumers but they are rightfully earning the interest by taking such measures.
I will post the advertisement as soon as I can. Look for it on TV or on the Internet.
Bring Back Face Time
Posted by: | CommentsAs social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Myspace become more and more popular and as a growing number of these social sites are being created, people are spending an increasing amount of time in front of their computers. We all know how addicting these kind of sites can be, and have probably been on sites like facebook and youtube when we really should have been studying, but have people been using social networks at the expense of their relationships? I think it is important that we remember the importance of personal interaction, and that there are other ways to communicate besides using twitter or IM. I think it is great that Dentyne created an ad that makes you want to get out and spend time with your friends and loved ones instead of just sending them an email. I think that the idea of “making face time” is such a responsible and healthy message for the public.
This campaign made me start to think about the value of social media marketing sites versus the value of human interaction. While the internet is such a great way to reach a large amount of people, do you think there are ways to create word of mouth marketing that involve actual interaction with customers, and do you think that this personal contact would be more persuasive or effective than marketing on the internet. How can companies use social media effectively and increase their face time with consumers? I know that personal contact can be an important part of the shopping process for me and should not be overlooked.
Ready to hear the truth?
Posted by: | Comments
I found this on the ACT Responsible web page earlier today. I think this is a really good way to grab people’s attention. Definitely not the typically way people expect to see a message. It’s definitely a strong message that many people need to hear!
MADD Ads
Posted by: | CommentsDrunk driving is something that has affected me in a person way, so it is something that I stand strongly against. I think that MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) does a great job with their campaigns against driving drunk. They are not afraid to shock people and make them cringe. If MADD didn’t make people cringe at the sight f their ads, they wouldn’t be as effective. Drunk driving is a serious problem among young people in this country today, and I think that ads from groups like MADD should be seen more.
Check out a few of the MADD ads:
Boost Mobiles long armpit hair
Posted by: | Comments
This commerical by Boost Mobile just seems very irrelevant and the first time i saw it i was extremely grossed out. At the end I See and Get the point but what a STRANGE way to go about that. Is it really necessary to have a girl with armpit hair 10 ft long waving in some guys face saying this isnt wrong but paying to much for you cell phone is, its called personaly hygine and it is not normal in our society to have long armpit hair. We might have understood the humor of long armpit hair if the commerical was atleat for a product that dealt with personal hygine. Who do you think their demographic was for this ad?? If it was the shock effect they were going for it sure worked but not in a good way it shocked the people from wanting to hear anymore about this product!!!!
