There’s a lot of talk about the value of Government advertising at the moment – especially in the UK – but the thing is, I wonder if it has ever really been effective.
I know there’ll be lots of figures to back up lots of campaigns … but my problem is, as I wrote here, too many Government campaigns are focused on highlighting the issue rather than addressing the cause.
Let’s face it, when you’re the Government, you can create situations and scenarios that can change behaviour more powerfully, quickly and easily than pretty much anything adland could deliver in a million years … but to do that requires effort, so it’s much easier [and cheaper?] to approve an ad campaign because that way they can appear like they care and appease voters without actually having to do anything that could highlight how bad the situation actually is.
Too much alcohol is dangerous.
Going too fast is dangerous.
Not exercising is dangerous.
Drugs are dangerous.
No shit Sherlock!
Come on … do the powers-that-be honestly believe people don’t know this stuff but choose to do it anyway?
Do they honestly believe a 30” ad and some billboards will change deeply ingrained attitudes and behaviour on mass?
Sure it might have some effect … sure it might contribute to a few people stopping/considering what they were previously doing … but when it’s costing hundreds of millions of pounds/euros/dollars to do these sorts of campaigns, you can hardly call that a good return on investment.
But are the Governments the only ones to blame?
Well frankly no.
Promoting the problem rather than addressing the cause is hardly a new situation … this attitude has been around for decades … however I can’t help but feel one of the reasons why so many people are now starting to question the effectiveness and validity of these Government campaigns is more to do with their concern that the huge expenditure – when added to the enormous amounts spent bailing out the banks – could result in the services and benefits they enjoy being directly and negatively impacted rather than them being concerned society is on the brink of total alcohol/obesity/speed and drug abuse.
Is everyone like this?
Of course not … and let’s face it, Government benefits and services hardly allow someone to live in the lap of luxury, so it’s a potentially very serious issue … however if people have been happy to accept ads instead of action for decades, then they have to shoulder some of the blame, even if it is less than the people we have chosen to look after the nations total [not just the ‘glory cities’] development and growth.
There’s a great line in a Michael Moore movie where someone says the French Government are scared of their people whereas in America [and many other countries] the people are scared of their Government … so instead of waiting till polling day where many of us will end up voting for whichever party suits our personal circumstances the best, get angry and make change happen during the term, not at the end.
Maybe we should all follow WK’s Honda ad: hate something, change something … which sounds a damn sight more productive than hate something, whinge.