The two commercials show a group of distracted youths and a harried young father speeding before their vehicles crash, leaving them smashed and bloody. In both spots, the sound of crying women can be heard as the commercials close.Nice. I'm looking forward to that.
These ads will not make me drive any slower. They will not make anyone drive any slower. I, like the vast majority of people, drive a reasonable speed based on the conditions. That may not always be the posted speed limit, but it is a reasonable speed. When you see instances of serious "speed related" crashes, it almost always involves a drunk driver or a stolen car -- as opposed to a "harried young father". Even the example used in the Free Press article is of a drunk driver. That is the real problem -- people driving while hammered, and kids joy-riding in stolen cars.
These ads will be a waste of money. Just my opinion. I've gotta run, though. Late for work!
Whoa Whoa Whoa...
ReplyDeleteAre you suggesting that people take responsibility and drive speeds they feel safe at?!
What will all the nannies out there think?!?
I suppose the advertising industry would say that "annoying works". They'd be right: as often as I listen to Richard Cloutier's show in the morning, the only two ads I can even remember are the two that annoy me the most -- the "how can you ignore a crying baby" ad and the "so cheap our mothers are embarrassed" ad. (Damned if I can remember the name of the dealership, but at least I remember the ad.)
ReplyDeleteNow let's see if they match the ads with shows that will actually reach the proper audience -- or if they'll go after the more sedate "100 Huntley Street" crowd.
And, if there's a web site, hopefully the web site address will be easily remembered, unlike that anti-gang web site. What was it again? www.stopsexwithgangs.ca? No, that doesn't sound right...
"annoying works": you mean like how I can't get Rhianna's "So Hard" out of my head?
ReplyDeleteSo haaard
Ye ye ye so haaard
Eh eh eh so haaard
Ya ya ya so haaard
So haaaard, so haaaard...
The question is: do the 0.0001% of drivers who are reckless speed demons watch The Office and Law and Order, and will they change behaviour because of these ads?
The web site is: http://justslowdown.ca/
As a young lad with a driver's license buring in my pocket in the late '90s, I was a real lead foot. Then I saw the "geek in the back... I just went to pick up my CD's" commercial aimed at speeding motorist teens like me.
ReplyDeleteChanged my life; I haven't driven over the limit since.
Don't recall the specific ad, but perhaps they will influence a few people.
ReplyDeleteAdvertising messages saying "Don't do that!" never seem to work particularly well.
ReplyDeleteSomewhat related, it looks as though ads meant to "shame" people out of certain behaviours might actually have the opposite effect, according to an Indiana University/Northwestern University study:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35693607/ns/health-addictions/
Interesting ... however policy makers don't look at studies. Look at all of the jurisdictions that have made hand-held phones illegal while driving, while exempting hands-free cell phones. This despite numerous peer-reviewed studies showing that they are just as dangerous.
ReplyDelete