The Singapore Health Board has started a new campaign to encourage people to quit smoking. They are using two actors (one a doctor and the other a woman coughing on her deathbed) to stage a demonstration during the business district at lunchtime. In another part of the campaign, a television ad shows a woman with brownish, deformed teeth, sores on her lips, and cracked skin. The slogan for the campaign is "Quitting is hard. Not quitting, is harder." They have seen a 500% increase in calls to the government's QuitLine. The campaign was so disturbing to kids that the ads must now be run after 8 p.m. with a message about graphic content. Could such a campaign be successful here? Do the think the fear appeal used is too strong to get people to believe this could happen to them? Would this work for you?
I found the ad on Youtube. It's somewhat disturbing. Click on the link below to watch it:
Singapore Ad
Monday, April 02, 2007
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11 comments:
Oh wow, that was scary! The idea sounds like it would be successful, but after I watched it, I think it's a little over the top and a little gruesome. When messages are that extreme they sometimes tend to push away potential converts. If it wasn't so dramatic, I think it would be more effective.
Wow! That is a very graphic advertisement. It was gross! The majority of people do not get mouth cancer that extreme. I do not believe this ad will prevent or stop someone from quitting. It almost seems unbelievable. The girl in the ad is so young. Most young people will look at family members or famous people and say they have been smoking so many years and their fine so that won't happen to me.
The ad definitely grabs your attention with very strong graphics and a vivid display of the effects of smoking. From a personal standpoint, the ad should be aired in the US since smoking is a mounting problem here as well. I beleive that it will be successful because it is not a deceptive ad and it shows that oral cancer is a real consequence of smoking which everynoe should know. Smoking has been glamourized over the years and no one seems to have a problem with that, and now that the dangers of smoking are being revealed there shouldn't be a problem either.
I don't see a problem with it either. Yes, it is disturbing, but I am also disturbed with other things that air on television that other people don't seem to have a problem with (i.e. cussing, and more-than-necessary skin showing/sexual scenes when children may be watching). On our last homework assignment about effective campaigns, I wrote mine about a poster I saw in 6th grade that was just as disturbing as that ad. Because I was so disturbed by the gross picture of the insides of someone who had smoked their whole life, I have never picked up a cigarette or even been tempted to. I think they should run the ads in the U.S.
I think Marilyn has a good point. If this could happen, surely it would have already happened to someone you know, right? Smokers might use this bad reasoning. Smoking is a very complicated issue.
Research has shown that strong fear appeals are not as effective as mild ones.
I didn't expect it to be that gruesome! After seeing the meth commercials on tv, I thought that's what this one would look like too, but it's more detailed and real. I think issues would be brought up here just as much as they have in singapore because of children watching tv. The fear appeal isn't too strong too believe, because cigarettes can cause many types of diseases and cancers, and people know that. This commericial just makes it more realistic. It would definetaly get my attention.
(Gasp)!!...that was more graphic than I expected! I clearly see why the ad is now run after 8 p.m. I still think the campaign would be very successful here. The fear appeal is strong, but I think the reality of the effects of smoking cigarettes needs to be brought out of the shadows, visually. I can see a few parents opposing to the graphic nature but it would be still be very believable. Many people may just feel they "don't smoke that hard for that to happen to them" after watching the ad. If I was a smoker though this would definitly work for me!
Well, after watching the commercial, I think a campaign as such would be successful in the US, if only audiences could legitamize the lady's claims that smoking left her looking like that. I agree that the ad is unbelievable and most people won't believe that will happen to them. If the campaign followed the girl through to where she is now, it might be more effective realistically.
Jenn Sheppard
That is gross! I am sorry that I even clicked on that link. I am very thankful that I don't smoke but in other cases it may motivate them to quit. In my experience when smokers see things like that, they are not really affected unless it happens to them because they are very stubborn about there bad habbit. Hopefully the campaign will help some people to quit and restore their lives and if it does that much, it's a success!
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In our society 'shock value' works, its as simple as that... im a registered nurse and i see it first hand, smoking causes numerous illness, ive cared for patients with amputations due to smoking that has affected their peripheral circulation, ive witnessed first hand the cancers (im an oncology nurse) that smoking directly is responsible for.... lung cancer is perhaps THE nastiest death of all, these patients slowly suffocate to death, have to have 24 hour oxygen, cannot walk 3 steps without becoming out of breath, they waste away and die quickly.
People have and WILL continue to justify using drugs that enhance their lives, thats fine... but the ex-smokers know full well, that they are only kidding themselves.
The ad is a good one in my opinion, it hits home the message that smoking is a killer... it is as simple as that.
Why would anyone choose to still smoke knowing that? because its human nature to make bad decisions sometimes... some people learn and dont make the same mistakes, others dont learn.. and some even end up on the ward that i work on... the cancer ward... hope i dont see you there.. (warm smile)
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