Ad campaigns: trick or treat?
By Elyse Wurm, copywriter and social media coordinator, Mo Works, Melbourne
The world has gone into an ad-blocking frenzy, but if everyone’s off the air then how do we give important causes the attention they deserve?
We’ve all glared at a flashing online banner or muttered a curse word at a pop-up, and it’s in these enraged moments that society decided advertising is nothing but a nuisance. But like carbs, not all ads are created equal. There are some ads that aren’t about convincing you to add another frypan to your collection, but instead want to raise your awareness about an important issue that would otherwise fly under the radar.
Charities, public services and health organisations all grab attention for good reason. Their message can help achieve positive change in our communities but as more and more people shun advertising, it’s become vital for them to be smart rather than sneaky with how they deliver it.
As a result, we’ve seen more awareness ads floating around the traps trying to convince people to take an interest in causes. But more isn’t always better. The ones that are worth paying attention to are the ones who raise the bar for creativity to shed new light on a sometimes worn out issue. When done well, these are the ads that leave a mark on our minds and convince us to think twice about our attitudes and behaviour.
When I think about awareness campaigns that have stuck with me, I can’t go past the Worksafe ads that portray horrific workplace accidents and the Quit Smoking ad where a surgeon cuts open a lung and fills it with tar. Why do I remember these campaigns? They tugged at my emotions. They were shocking and confronting, and gave me a behind-the-scenes look at the consequences of these harmful choices.
Not all awareness advertising has to be as horrific as this, they can be just as memorable if they are funny or skilfully put together. For example, this new ad campaign about giving pets at Christmas is shot like a short film and compels you to keep watching to find out how the story ends.
The common thread between all of these campaigns is that they are rooted in truth. They are captivating precisely because they portray situations we can all relate to, which makes us think twice about the choices we make when we’re in that position. When we can see how the message relates to our own lives, we are more likely to see these ads as a welcomed interruption rather than an annoyance.
The power is in conveying the seriousness of the situation without scolding the audience. As our mothers and grandmothers say, it’s not what you say but how you say it. Language plays a huge part in this because as Seth Godin pointed out, if ‘global warming’ (two seemingly positive words) was really called ‘atmosphere cancer’ then we’d probably take it more seriously.
The location of the ad can also be hugely influential. Out-of-the-box thinking is king because people will stop and stare at a spectacle. One of my favourite examples of this is the Love Has No Labels campaign, which stopped people on a busy street in their tracks.
Using familiar objects to carry the message in creative ways can similarly snap you to attention and open your mind to thinking about an issue in a completely new way. Without advertising, you may never have had the opportunity to see things from that particular perspective.
With this in mind, don’t you think it’s unfair to tar all advertising with the same brush? Don’t you think these ads have changed the way you perceive the world?
When it boils down to it advertising is just a way to pass information onto others, and it’s a quick and engaging one at that. As long as the quality of the advertising is top notch, and we feel compelled to listen to its message, then we can spark important discussions about how we see the world. With this knowledge we can make informed choices about how we address issues going forwards, and direct support towards the causes that can make a real and positive difference.