This week, I've introduced you to our iheartmom.ca viral campaign starring Joannie Rochette. I've talked about the evolution of women's heart health as a social marketing issue. I've shared the ups and downs of trying to take a campaign viral. And I talked a bit about the new technologies we're adopting to raise funds.
Today, I'd like to put the spotlight on our cause marketing client, The University of Ottawa Heart Institute. As Canada's top cardiovascular health centre, The Heart Institute is a prime destination for surgeons who teach and conduct research, cardiologists who undertake basic science, investigators who operate clinics, among over 1,000 other health professionals.
Their work is global in scale, including identifying the first major heart health risk factor since cholesterol — the 9p21 gene, unlocking the mechanism controlling a gene that regulates weight loss, and developing a biomaterial that grows new blood vessels.
This campaign is gaining great awareness worldwide, but after an initial big cheque, donations are slow coming in. Please join our Facebook cause page or click the "iheartmom" button at the bottom of this post to support research, education, and treatment of women's hearts.
And please send your mom (or grandma, sister, daughter, wife, cousin, friend, etc.) this series of potentially life-saving videos produced by The Heart Institute. Each one has an important health tip for women about protecting and maintaining heart health, and especially for recognizing women's unique cardiac danger signals:
(More to come next week!)
Ready to support this cause now? For Mom? join our Facebook page or hit the button.
If you've been watching Joannie Rochette's iheartmom video on YouTube, or if you visited iheartmom.ca, you probably noticed a funny little piece of abstract art with a "Mobio" logo on it.
You may also be wondering "what IS that thing?"
Mobio Identity Systems is a Vancouver company that has developed a new way to make electronic payments, get information, or connect with specific content via smartphones.
Don't worry, before we started this campaign, I hadn't heard of them either. But our client, the University of Ottawa Heart Institute had. They premiered the technology on their annual telethon on CTV a few weeks ago, on March 28.
"The Ottawa Heart Institute has always been on the cutting edge of technology and we believe Mobio will increase their donation base and encourage a new generation of young mobile smartphone users to donate to this worthy organization."
So how does it work? They included this handy video:
The telethon raised over $5 million, actually exceeding its goal. How many donations came via Mobio? According to the Ottawa Citizen, the high-tech gimmick helped "a bit".
But such is the case for early adopters. MobioID sees great potential for fundraisers in this technology, especially with the 45-and-under crowd, including:
• Ability to inject innovation into the widely traditional telethon space. • Ability to target younger audiences and appeal to Gen X and Y. • Increased geographical reach (Mobio barcodes can go viral on Twitter, Facebook, email and phone to phone) • Ongoing donations possible post-event (once a custom barcode is created it can be used indefinitely in print, advertising, TV, T-shirts etc.)
Of course, the application also holds great promise for e-commerce, allowing on-the-spot impulse purchases from anywhere.
Now that you know what Mobio is, you'll probably start to notice it popping up in geekier circles. Just last weekend, I put down my copy of SuperFreakonomics (which is hard to do) and noticed a Mobio 2-D barcode on the back cover, with an invitation to get more info.
As you know, I'm promoting the hell out of iheartmom.ca, our online Mother's Day campaign for women's heart health starring Olympic figure skated Joannie Rochette.
Everything is in place. Now all we have to do is "go viral". One... two.. three...
Okay, where is everybody? (Just kidding!)
Fast Company says that the three keys to a successful viral idea are "emotion", "public service", and "triggers".
In the case of this video, the emotion (Joannie talking about the loss of her mom), public service (help fight heart disease in women) and trigger (Mother's day) are obvious. Plus, we have the star power of one of Time Magazine's Top 100 people of 2010.
With everything going for it, the campaign is going pretty well on Day 3. The video is on-track to hit the next milestone of 1500 views any minute now, the press is all over the campaign launch, and the campaign just got some surprise coverage from a Swiss blog:
"A beautiful example of an extremely simple social marketing campaign."
There have been setbacks, though, and these are lessons worth sharing too.
For one thing, our English homepage on Causes.com conked out mid-day yesterday. This meant that people trying to join our cause from iheartmom.ca couldn't get in. By this morning, we learned that people were still getting in via facebook invitations, so we redirected visitors to the "about" page. (If you haven't already, please join up now!) The home page is back online as of this writing.
Another glitch was the temporary loss of the French video on YouTube, which broke links and set the counter back to zero. It's back now.
As well, because we had to film Joannie on the day of the press conference, the video could not be ready in time for the first wave media blitz.
As a result, we've probably lost some opportunities. But now that we've fixed all our links, we're back on track and I'm busily working on our BR ('blogger relations") strategy — pushing the story out through my own social media outreach, and communicating with other influencers in sport, health and media who might be willing to help. Stay tuned for more results.
At the end of the day, the biggest challenge to this campaign will be to translate the rising awareness into actual donations. If you'd like to help, please join now at http://www.iheartmom.ca/ or use this handy campaign badge:
This week, in support of our iheartmom.ca campaign for women's heart health, I'm going to look at the development of female-specific heart disease awareness as a social marketing initiative.
Heart disease is the #1 killer of women, but has far less mindshare than breast and cervical cancer in the public discussion of women's health.
Why is this? Part of the problem, according to the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, is that women's heart attack symptoms are different (and often less dramatic) than men's. They can be mistaken for an anxiety attack, flu, or general lightheadedness.
You can see the low awareness of women's heart health in this American PSA from two years ago:
And here is a good explanation of women-specific symptoms and issues:
The situation is changing, though, through the World Heart Federation's "Go Red for Women" campaign.
The campaign also gets corporate and celebrity support.
The international outreach is funded by the American Heart Association's "Go Red" movement, around Valentine's Day and Heart Month.
Here in Canada, the Red Dress campaign recently took the form of The Heart Truth Fashion Show, by the Heart & Stroke Foundation.
Canadian figure skater Joannie Rochette won a bronze medal at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, but her time on the podium was shadowed by tragedy. Just two days before she competed, her mother Therese died of a heart attack.
Joannie not only went on, but achieved a career best. Now, she has committed herself to raising awareness and funds to fight heart disease in women:
We at Acart are also committed to this cause. Just two weeks ago, the University of Ottawa Heart Institute came to us with their idea for creating a Mother's Day campaign around Joannie's involvement in their cause. And so, in a flurry of strategy, creative development, and on-the-fly production, we managed to put together the "iheartmom" campaign — filming the PSA on-site at the Heart Institute while Joannie was in Ottawa for a brief visit.
The online PSA leads to the campaign site, iheartmom.ca, where people are encouraged to donate directly or raise funds via Facebook (there's also a contest element where you can win a Caribbean cruise!)
Some facts on heart disease in women
• Heart disease is the #1 killer of women aged 55 or older • Women of all ages represent 50% of heart disease deaths in Canada • In 2005, more than 25,000 Canadian women died from heart disease • More than one-third of women aged 45 and over have high blood pressure • Heart disease risk in women increases with age and the onset of menopause • Heart attack is not uncommon in women in their 30s • Women’s heart attack symptoms can include unusual fatigue, trouble sleeping, indigestion and anxiety up to one month before a heart attack
The French campaign, "mamandemoncoeur", is running in parallel.
There's also a video of the press conference here.
Please help us help Joannie help moms everywhere have healthier hearts. Share this blog.
Here at Acart, we've been doing our small part to raise awareness and increase organ donation commitment by encouraging employees to sign their cards, get their Facebook friends to do so, or even just get people talking about the issue on internal and social media. Being competitive ad people, we ran a contest as well, and clad in campaign green we'll all be wrapping the week with an office party.
Another element of the campaign has been the appearance of little green notes all over the office, with facts like "Right now, Ontario is in need of 1,164 kidneys." and "1,800 people in Ontario are on the transplant list and in need of live donors." and "Studies show: donating the organs and tissues of a deceased loved one can provide immediate comfort & consolation to grieving family members."
What we'd really love to do is create a great viral organ donation PSA. But since we haven't yet had the opportunity, I'd like to share some other people's work with you.
By far the most graphic campaign out there is Recycle Me, which I blogged about last year. The site features a young guy who talks to you while eviscerating himself and showing the parts that can save lives.
In the U.S., "Go Recycle Yourself" takes a similar, but more cartoony approach.
Perhaps the most touching approaches, though, are the stories of people who have needed transplants.
This one from the UK goes straight for your heart (and other organs):
This one, from Illinois, is a personal appeal Charles Tillman of "da" Bears:
And this DIY project shows how anyone can reach out and make a difference online.
If you haven't already signed your organ donor card, please consider it. Ontario residents can find out more at the Trillium Gift of Life Network.
And if you've already committed to the cause, please tell people about it. Share your compassion, your knowledge, and your personal stories. And share this blog, if you think it will help. The appropriate buttons are just up and to the right.
Earth Day was born in 1970, and so was I. Over the past four decades we've grown up together. I'd like to look at what that means to Social Issues Marketing.
Forty years ago, environmentalism (or "ecology" as it was called) was still pretty fringe —— literally. It was something associated with hippies and other radicals. The mainstream burned fuel, sprayed chemicals, and threw trash around like there was no tomorrow.
But pretty soon, things started to change.
This 1971 ad, for "Keep America Beautiful", was an iconic part of my childhood TV experience. Old-fashioned in its stereotype of the "noble savage" (played by Sicilian actor Iron Eyes Cody), and superficial in its focus on refuse, it nonetheless signalled a change in environmental marketing.
Environmental issues became more urgent during the energy crisis of the mid-1970s. Adults waited in line to buy gas, while an entire generation of kids like me was indoctrinated into a new way of thinking through Saturday Morning edutainment like Schoolhouse Rock.
As the resource crunch hit people where they live, consumer products started getting wise to the demand for efficiency.
Meanwhile, as public pressure built in reaction to environmental disasters like nuclear meltdowns, others were busy trying to tell people that everything was fine the way it was.
And then Earth Day and I hit puberty, in the 80s, and started complaining about everything. My biggest issues at the time were the very real possibility of nuclear war, acid rain, water pollution, whaling, and various political outrages that Bono told me to care about.
Remember the old Greenpeace? Me too. Animal issues were big on the radar as well. I recall wearing a "ban the leg-hold trap" button some lady handed me at the mall. The 80s was truly a revival of the sound a fury of 60s protest — or so we thought. But even though aerosols, leaded gas and paint, and DDT were gone, recycling programs were still years away. When I think back to those years, I can't believe how many bad environmental practices were still common.
Cars got big again. Power was back in style. But the environmental message kept on building momentum through the '90s.
And while we gradually accepted cleaner cars, recycling, reduced carbon output (in some cases), and user fees for things like water, a younger generation was growing up in a media environment where eco-everything was just assumed.
Now, on the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, "green" marketing is so pervasive that the biggest problem is sorting out the real changes from the "greenwashed" ones. My son, at five, has never known a world where you didn't sort your recyclables, compost kitchen waste, haul around reusable shopping bags, avoid pesticides, and keep an eye on urban air quality. He knows that wasting water hurts nature, loudly decries litter, and makes me write "don't kill whales" on any suggestion-box form he sees (like at the supermarket!).
Happy birthday, Earth Day. Let's hope we don't have a mid-life crisis.
I often look for blog ideas by searching social media press releases for public service announcements. However, it soon becomes obvious that the occasional self-styled "PSA" is actually serving someone else entirely.
Case-in-point:
"Fort Lauderdale, FL (PRWEB) April 20, 2010 -- HairLoss.com, the Internet's most comprehensive resource for unbiased consumer information and education concerning hair loss solutions and conditions, has released the second of a series of animated, one-minute-long public service announcements titled "Hair is Important".
According to Michael Garcia, spokesman for HairLoss.com, this second video release "aims to illustrate to the public that men and women who are trying to restore their hair are really trying to restore much more than just their hair."
The video states that hair is so important that is gives people the confidence to project who they are, allowing them to accomplish great things, while a montage of noted historical figures with notable hair, from politicians to entertainers, is shown."
Here's the "PSA":
Now, let me state for the record that I still have all my hair. Hell, I even have hair in places that are no longer fashionable. But if I were ever to start balding noticeably, I'd do what my female friends refer to as "doing the honourable thing" and crop it down, Captain Picard style.
And what's wrong with that? The HairLoss.com video would have me think that a head full of hair is necessary to project "who we are" and "what we believe in".
It's apparently needed to lead... (for good or evil)
to make an impression...
to express a viewpoint...
and to entertain.
Yeah — baldness is for losers, and fake hair is for winners.
"When I first saw it I thought, you know, I agree with breast milk, it's fine but then I saw it with the milk around its mouth and I though that was so unappealing. The baby's cute, but I did not like the milk coming out of his mouth."
The funny thing, though, is that in three regional articles about this campaign, the only negative comments reported were similar to the one above — squeamish reactions to the drool.
Of course, supporters all bring up comparisons to the long-standing "Got Milk?" campaign:
What gives? Is the media manufacturing controversy where there is none?
More interesting is the video segment, which shows another execution with a white baby and no visible milk. No reason is given. Was this really just a photographic contrast thing?
Ohio has one of the lowest rates of breastfeeding in the United States, with 58.5% of new mothers even attempting it, and just 12% still nursing their babies after a year. The Help Me Grow program assists thousands of families in Ohio, many of whom on limited incomes. For these target markets, the ads are a reminder that breastfeeding is healthy and free.
With so much going on in the world of social issues marketing, sometimes I forget to celebrate the fact that at Acart we don't just change the world — sometimes we create a whole new one.
Considering our long experience working with the Ottawa Senators and developing the regional Hockey Country brand, we were keen on helping a new local entertainment giant join our community. We pitched the business last year, won them over, and set to developing a brand that would differentiate the park from others.
And there was the challenge. After considering a number of ideas, we realized that this job required a real depth of imagination. We had to create a whole cast of characters, and back story, from scratch.
Starting with the name, Calypso ("goddess of the waves") as the lead character, we developed a family friendly cast that represent the different types of rides and experiences people can expect from the park.
(Early Calypso concept sketch)
(Final)
"Condemned for centuries to the island of Gozo by Zeus, Calypso is finally free to find her own place in the world. The Queen of the Waves does not have to search for long before she finds her true home, Calypso Palace, in a park called none other than Calypso! What a wondrous find! Calypso Palace is her dream home—a giant wave pool producing all sorts of waves, all under her control."
That's the official bio of Calypso, and the other characters are similarly developed.
There's Capitaine LaPlank, pirate and embodiment of the kids' Aquaplay rides:
Sara Max, California daredevil, and brand expression of the more adrenaline-pumping rides like the Fast Track:
Dr. Dunk, evil scientist and lord of the Turbo Lab:
And finally, Wildman Jack, Aussie adventurer and face of the nature-themed rides like the Jungle Run:
The name of the last character may seem familiar to some of you. But hey — if Dave Thomas could name his burger mascot after his daughter, I figured a little tribute to my nature-loving son was not out of line!
The characters were fleshed out by Acartians Mel (copy) and Kerry (Art Director/Illustrator - who also did the Sens' new logo) and then worked into design by Leslie. We are currently working to costume living, breathing versions for Calypso's grand opening on June 7th.
What a ride... and we haven't even gotten wet yet!
Before I landed my first agency job, I was a freelancer who desperately wanted to break in to travel writing. I suppose that's the dream of every well-travelled young scribe with a romantic streak — which is the reason I didn't make much headway.
To this day, I have a soft spot for travel and tourism ads with a historical angle. Whether it's been a branding campaign for the Bytown Museum, or tourist attractions for AT&T long distance, I've enjoyed every opportunity to get my culture on.
I also follow mistakes, such as when an English tourist ad uses a stock photo of Canada, or a photo collage implies that the Canadian view of Niagara Falls can be seen from upstate New York. These are fairly innocent, or even expedient mistakes. St. Peter's Basilica is not technically in Rome — or even Italy — but it's still on the Roman tour agenda. And a trip to Ottawa often includes a visit across the provincial border to the Museum of Civilization. No harm done, really.
And then there's this ad, which appeared in the UK:
Seems pretty average — even boring — but a more detailed examination has caused public controversy leading to a ban by the British Advertising Standards Authority, and has increased tensions over an already tense issue:
The middle pic is of the Wailing Wall and the Dome of the Rock, and is labelled "Jerusalem". But as the Telegraph points out, the view is of East Jerusalem, part of the disputed Occupied Territories of the West Bank.
"'So what,' you say?" You must not be from there, or know many people who are attached to the region.
"The ASA said the advert breached truthfulness guidelines and ordered it not to be used again, adding: 'We told the IGTO not to imply that places in the Occupied Territories were part of the State of Israel.'
It added: 'We noted the ad stated 'You can travel the entire length of Israel in six hours - imagine what you can experience in 4 days' and 'visit now for more itineraries in Israel' and considered that readers were likely to understand that the places featured in the itinerary were all within the state of Israel.
'We understood, however, that the status of the Occupied Territory of the West Bank was the subject of much international dispute, and because we considered that the ad implied that the part of East Jerusalem featured in the image was part of the state of Israel, we concluded that the ad was likely to mislead.'"
Oh yes, it's political. And as a Canadian guy who has friends with deeply personal feelings on both sides of this complicated and sometimes bloody issue, I don't want to make a judgemental statement here either way.
What interests me more is what the intent was. Advertisers sometimes make mistakes. Or we overgeneralize. Was this an oversight?
The Israeli Ministry of Tourism says no, but insists it was appropriate. "Had the ad omitted a reference to a visit to the city of Jerusalem, it would have been incorrect and potentially misleading" They add hat Israel "took responsibility to support the religious sites of all denominations, a commitment which also formed part of the obligations of an agreement with the Palestinian Authority signed in 1995".
It is interesting to note that last year, the ASA banned another Israeli tourism ad which implied that The West Bank, Gaza Strip and Golan Heights were part of the state of Israel.
I won't dwell on reactions to this issue, except to say that one group of people is angry that it ever ran, and another is angry that it was banned.
I am just reminded what a volatile mix advertising and politics can be. And maybe I won't get so irked the next time the Americans take credit for "our" falls, and just quietly appreciate 150-or-so years of peace on that border.
Design21 Social Design Network, in partnership with UNESCO, is holding an international competition to design a game that aims to create change by improving lives or inspiring new behaviors. (via Osocio)
The Social Design Network is a member organization with a mission to "inspire social activism through design".
Design a game that aims to create change by improving lives or inspiring new behaviors.
A crisis can bring about change. It forces us to rethink our lives and our relationships and lead us to adopt new outlooks or rethink the way we do things. While the world has been rocked by a deep recession, many have seen the flip-side of this crisis as one of opportunity; the chance to start over, or reset priorities, to take initiative to create some positive and meaningful change in their lives, big or small.
The goal of this competition is to come up with the idea and design for a game that can improve lives or inspire new behaviors, whether personally, professionally or communally, to create change.
The game could teach an individual or a group new life skills or propose a more sustainable way of living, working or interacting either at home or in our community. It does not have to operate on a grand scale. Small is also welcome. The objective and spirit of the game should be to inspire or create positive change.
It can be a digital or online game, or take the form of a traditional board game, or simply be an activity that is interactive (like charades, for example). It can be designed for one, two or more "players." But it must be a game and that also means involving an element of fun.
Your game must be clearly explained with images and words (not words alone).
You must not enter any design that already exists on the market or has been put into commercial production, or that you do not own the rights to.
You must join the network to enter, and entries will be judged on the quality of the idea and how well it responds to the brief. There are cash prizes, as well as a people's choice.
You need to apply by May 11. Public voting is two days later. And the results will be announced on June 1.
So, are you game for changing the world by putting your work to play?
It was inevitable, I suppose. Consumer advertisers feel pressure to outshock each other for attention. Creatives are stuck in a 2-decades-old fad of relying on "things that look like other things" for visual intrigue. And so the citizens of Sofia, Bulgaria, are treated to this:
The Echo reports that the Bulgarian ethics commission of the National Council for Self-regulation in Advertising "suggests" that the ad be removed for advertising code violations.
What creeps me more about this ad is the condition of the woman's eye: no lashes or brow, bloodshot, swollen lids. It might as well be an ad in support of burn victims.
No, it is not consumer-driven fast food mashup like the Mcgangbang. Nor an obscure sport-eating food from the This Is Why You're Fat photoblog — like Ottawa's own gravy pizza.
This is an actual meal marketed by Kentucky Fried Chicken:
Note that I called the chain by its old name, as opposed to the euphemistic "KFC". That was on purpose.
Years ago, the Colonel's troops got on the healthier food bandwagon and started offering grilled chicken and other low-fat options. Their corporate site still claims, "We believe eating sensibly, combined with appropriate exercise, is the best solution for a healthy lifestyle."
Made of two slabs of boneless fried chicken, bacon, double cheese and mayo-based sauce, the Double Down has 540 calories, 32 grams of fat, and 1380 milligrams of sodium.
So, an "appropriate exercise" to work the Double Down into anything resembling a healthy lifestyle would be to Running for an hour at about 8.4 km per hour (burning 531 of those 540 calories) or if you actually want to lose weight, biking for an hour at about 25 kph (590 calories). Of course, this assumes you didn't get a combo with a pop and fries...
Oh, and Health Canada recommends that adults do not exceed 2,300 mg of sodium per day. Per day.
While McDonald's keeps toying with portion control in an attempt to appeal to more health-conscious family consumers, Kentucky Fried Chicken has obviously decided their future lies more with young adult males. To this big-eating, big-drinking, burn-it-off-somehow generation the Double Down will provide a tempting alternative to heart-busting treats like the Burger King Quad Stacker and the Wendy's Baconator.
Don't get me wrong. I love a good "bad" meal as much as the next guy. But this idea of competitive junk food eating being embraced by more and more international brands in their everyday menu items kind of turns my stomach.
MADD Canada recently announced that it is partnering with the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary to take more impaired drivers off the roads by launching their "Campaign 911" in the province:
"When MADD Canada started this program in 2007, there was a widespread public misperception that impaired driving was not an appropriate reason to call 911, that it was not a true emergency ... we are pleased to say that programs such as Campaign 911 are changing that. We are seeing more and more reports of impaired drivers being taken off the roads because concerned citizens called 911."
The following are the warning signs that good citizens are supposed to watch out for:
1. Driving unreasonably fast, slow or at an inconsistent speed 2. Drifting in and out of lanes 3. Tailgating and changing lanes frequently 4. Making exceptionally wide turns 5. Changing lanes or passing without sufficient clearance 6. Overshooting or stopping well before stop signs or stop lights 7. Disregarding signals and lights 8. Approaching signals or leaving intersections too quickly or slowly 9. Driving without headlights, failing to lower high beams or leaving turn signals on 10.Driving with windows open in cold or inclement weather
This gives me some concern. On one hand, I would and have called 911 in cases where I suspected another driver on the road was driving with extreme recklessness — drunk or otherwise. I hate impaired driving with a passion, and have dedicated myself to combating the issue both personally and professionally. (Once, after a call, the OPP had my pregnant wife and me tail a car all the way from Carleton Place to Ottawa!)
On the other hand, there are already a lot of people out there who abuse the 911 emergency service, and others who are self-styled "hall monitors" of the roads. I hate it when people tailgate, speed excessively, cut off other cars, fail to lower highbeams, etc. But only a few of them I suspect of impairment. Most are just asses.
And then there's "driving with windows open in cold or inclement weather". Have you ever driven with a smoker? This is standard operating procedure.
That said, there have been significant cases of 911 callers stopping drunk drivers — even on a bus!
And the campaign is working. In Calgary, where it was launched 5 months ago, the number of calls has jumped 60 percent — resulting in a seventeen per cent increase in impaired driving charges.
There was no information given on the increased cost to 911 resources, or the number of mistaken or spiteful calls. But it seems that police forces and municipalities are embracing the new culture of non-violent citizen vigilantism.
It's a contest based on this current Rickard's "Pint of Delicious" TV campaign:
In the online version, you get to script the comments of the three barflies (or be like a real Copywriter and "borrow" an idea...)
The guys do your bidding, with weirdly animated faces and electronic voices. You can make them say anything you want, but profanity gets a "look" and some snark from the barkeep.
(Hey, pal! It was in the name of advertising science!)
The content is also sharable, but in an effort to avoid an epic viral brand hijack like GM had with its Chevy Tahoe make-your-own ad application, your link is only sent to a friend after some sort of comment moderation. (Even some clean, but inappropriate versions I attempted failed to get through.)
This lack of shareability is generally a detriment to a viral campaign, but given the negative brand associations possible to inflict on the alcoholic beverages category, it's probably wise.
Plus, it's only a matter of time until someone finds a way to share their sick ideas.
The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's FIA Foundation has established a global safety campaign called "Make Roads Safe" to gather public support to tackle road deaths by:
• Calling on governments and the United Nations to commit to a ‘Decade of Action for Road Safety’ • Supporting a $300 million, 10 year, global Action Plan to help improve road safety in developing countries • Calling on the World Bank and other multilateral and bilateral donors to ensure that at least 10% of their road budgets are dedicated to road safety measures
But will a safe driving message resonate with fans who show up to watch drivers reach speeds of up to up to 360 km per hour? Especially when "street racing" has been identified as a front-burner social issue?
According to FIA, the UN's Decade of Action for Road Safety was a direct result of their awareness-building efforts: "With road deaths set to double in the next 10 years, this landmark resolution will pave the way to help halve the number of deaths over the next decade saving five million lives."
I wonder if NASCAR will be next to embrace a road safety message. Or at least focus on making safer left turns?
The Burger King is selling his burgers so cheap, you'll think he has serious mental health issues:
At least, that's the premise of this recent addition to agency CP+B's weird "King" series of commercials that have re-energized the BK brand by appealing to a narrower demographic of young men who grew up on "Jackass'.
The "crazy" King is par for the course on this campaign, in which a bizarro version of the restaurant's mascot stalks patrons and does all kinds of un-Ronald-like things. But the total focus on how "crazy" he is acting in this spot has upset two leading American mental health organizations.
The Seattle Times reports that the National Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health America have both spoken out against the nature of the ad.
"I was stunned. Absolutely stunned and appalled," said Michael Fitzpatrick, executive director for the National Alliance on Mental Illness[...]
He called the ad "blatantly offensive" and hopelessly retrograde in its depiction of mental illness, adding that the commercial could lead to further stigmatization, the primary barrier for individuals to seek out treatment.
"We understand edgy," Fitzpatrick said. "But this is beyond edgy. Way beyond."
Considering the ongoing struggle for people mental illness to be treated with the same respect as the physically ill, I think he has a point. But I wonder if this new sensibility will signal the end of an era for how used car dealers market their wares...
I started this blog a year ago today. I wondered if the April Fool's joke would be on me, but I've managed to keep it up pretty regularly.
For this post, I wanted to look to the past. Not a year ago, but almost 50. It's a clip Casey sent me from TV Squad, with a primetime Jackie Gleason trying to make good for a bad game show he had been involved with.
The show, called "You're in the Picture", was a typical celebrity guessing game where guests would stick their head into an amusing picture, and guess what the scene was based only on hints. It lasted one episode.
The following week, Gleason appeared sans set, smoking and drinking, and addressing the audience with a hilarious apology for what a bad show it had been.
The reason I find this relevant today is that I believe there are parallels between online communications today and TV in the early 1960s. From this perspective, both media are at a point where they had been mainstream for about a decade and a half, had moved from experimentation to standardization of content, and are entering a new phase of adapting to (and even being created by) generations who had grown up with them.
What Jackie Gleason did in 1961 is what creators of digital content need to do today:
• Admit mistakes • Be yourself • Be transparent • Be engaging • Be humble • Be fun
I wish I had been there at the time to watch this funny fat man turn a TV disaster into a fantastic piece of broadcast performance. But thankfully, the Internet never forgets:
