Dopey Ads?

[JayS]

Dopey Ads?
National anti-drug ad campaign might pique
teens’ interest in illicit drugs, researcher says
http://www.utexas.edu/features/


*SNIP*
However, Carson B Wagner, an assistant professor in the Department of Advertising at The University of Texas at Austin, contends that inadequate research measures are being used to evaluate the effectiveness of anti-drug ads and that more valid tests demonstrate that many anti-drug ads are having the wrong effects on teens, possibly increasing the likelihood for experimentation with drugs.

“One of the most important lessons I learned in graduate school was that the best kind of research reveals ‘differences that make a difference,’” says Wagner. “In other words, the more counterintuitive the research finding, the more value it has in the development of knowledge.”

This approach led Wagner to uncover the curiosity-arousing effects of anti-drug advertising.

“Years ago, I noticed that every time a news story was broadcast about illicit drug use among teens, a small epidemic would ensue,” says Wagner. “Logic instructs us that news programs and anti-drug ads showing drugs in a negative light should not lead people toward drugs.”

*SNIP*

“The majority of the current anti-drug advertising research is flawed because it relies on research participants self-reporting their attitudes in response to watching anti-drug ads,” explains Wagner. “However, an immense body of research reveals that, due to their conspicuous nature, self-reported attitude measures are highly susceptible to social desirability, especially with regard to sensitive issues such as drugs.”

In other words, drugs and drug-use can be an uncomfortable topic, and in order to conform to social norms, research participants may intentionally—or unintentionally—misrepresent themselves when reporting their attitudes, resulting in exaggerated estimates of anti-drug ads’ effectiveness.

*SNIP*

[katusha]

1. what a shock

this goes right up there with what i heard about D.A.R.E. program and how graduates of the program were more likely in the long term to use drugs. on a personal level i have noticed that everytime i see an anti smoking ad i want a cigarette really bad.

[struggle4progress]

2. Anti-drug education might work ...

but only if you tell kids the truth. Start lying to them, and they'll remember the anti-drug education and say "Well, they lied about everything else ..."

[Kinkistyle]

3. I thought the Crackhead Bob commercial was pretty effective.

There was a guy who used to be a regular "wack-packer" on the Howard Stern show. He was a stroke victim (he claims he got it from doing crack) and as a result had a horrible speech impediment and was also a tad "slow". He eventually left the Howard Stern show (its too bad, I really liked him) and made a public service anti-drug commercial.

I felt it was fairly effective. Kind of a "scared-straight" type of message. Kids need to see real-lift consequences of drug abuse, not some lame attempt at being "cool" by playing circa 90's rap songs exulting a drug-free lifestyle.