Ad it Up

Ads have a way of conveying a statement. Whether this statement is positive or negative, motivational or easy to surpass, adds catch our attention. The more unusual an add is, the easier our thoughts are provoked. The Montana Meth Project feeds its viewers the death and ugliness of using methane: "Not even once" stands firm as the slogan for the project."[T]he campaign doesn’t preach or demand that kids take action, but rather it tells the heartbreaking stories of teens who watched their friends become consumed by the spiral of addiction." The dreary low-lighted setting of The Montana Meth Project's new ad campaign brings an eerie feeling to the whole thing. But this dismal approach to selling the anti-message just isn't going to cut it.

The media are cracking down, asking themselves, "What can we do in order to sell what we see fault in?" For ads discouraging negative practices, a different approach should be taken. Instead of the drab, unconvincing focus, the ad should focus more on the happy effects of not consuming meth. The message here is not going to sell because usually reverse psychology will set in. The artistic photography of the advertisement is just about the only thing that might help keep the kids methane-free. If there is modeling of why a certain group of people should not do something, there also should be modeling as to why a group should do something. It is more likely that if the subject was not brought up at all in advertisements or commercials, meth consumption would go down on its own. We see advertisements exclusive to gender daily, and that tactic feeds each audience accordingly. If we find that less attention is being brought to drug use, less ideas would stimulate the brain in that area.

The advertising world is a sketchy place that not only confuses its viewers, but also convinces them to buy whatever their hearts desire.With this much power, advertising campaigns should persuade consumers in positive directions. We should analyze the media messages with great care and in some senses, let us not let them get the best of us.