9/11 Smoking Ad makes it to Epica Awards September 11, 2008
Posted by Farrukh Naeem at www.copywriterjournalist.com in : Advertising in Dubai, Advertising in the Middle East, Advertising in the UAE, Copywriting, PerceptGulf, Prashant Sankhe, Shock Advertising, Tobacco Advertising , 10 commentsIt’s been a year since I posted the 9/11 Anti-Smoking Ad on this blog. The ad which was published on 11 September in Khaleej Times had sparked quite a strong debate online. New York copywriter and blogger Copyranter won a prize given by Bill Green for spotting this post and comments poured in. Posted on Reddit, the ad pulled in more than 200 comments. And it had all started when friends at Percept had mailed me the ad for putting up on this blog. Here’s what we are talking about:
Anti-smoking ad published in Khaleej Times, Dubai, UAE on 11 September
Sudeep Koshy, who was the copywriter on this ad, called me a couple of days back to give me some interesting news. This ad has made to the EPICA Awards. Page 116, 21st Edition (2008) Public Awareness category. My blog is where it was first featured online - and although I don’t consider CopywriterJournalist.com an ad showcase blog (the world is full of them), this was an ad that had stopped me in my tracks and go uhummm. So I guess many other people feel the same way too.
This is what Sudeep says about the ad that created quite a stir: “When the idea was conceived, it was never thought to stir up any controversy. Because, the intention and message of this ad is right up there, unmistakable, in cold fact and bare figures. Besides, the context also mattered: The ad was released on 9/11 of course, which was THREE days before UAE banned smoking in public places.”
Do you think this ad is offensive? Is it right to say that it is borrowed interest or that the creatives exploited a tragedy? Have you done an ad that makes people look at it twice and go hmmm? Comments most welcome…
Anti-smoking ad released on 9/11 in UAE - thought-provoking idea, copywriting and art direction September 16, 2007
Posted by Farrukh Naeem at copywriterjournalist.com in : Advertising, Advertising in Dubai, Advertising in the UAE, Copywriting, Corporate Social Responsibility, PerceptGulf, Prashant Sankhe, Prashant Yeware, Shock Advertising, Sudeep John Koshy, Tobacco Advertising , 18 commentsAnti-smoking ads are never in short supply, but this one published in Khaleej Times on 9/11 this year really made an impact on me. I think it’s a thought-provoking idea, backed by great compelling copy that makes one think and an image that sends a shiver down one’s spine.
Do shock ads on cigarette packs work? A blogger’s view from Canada October 30, 2006
Posted by Farrukh Naeem at copywriterjournalist.com in : Advertising, Business Ethics, Corporate Social Responsibility, Ethics in Advertising, Marketing, Shock Advertising, Tobacco Advertising , 9 commentsIn Canada, cigarette packs feature vivid pictures of the after-effects of smoking. Rotten gums and cancerous internal organs. Really creepy pictures. Does this communication approach (shock and awe) work for smokers?
Following a comment on my post on tobacco advertising, I discovered an out-of-the-box analysis of the smoking problem on Ben and Heather’s blog from Canada. They feel that the reason why we don’t take the smoking issue seriously is because its effects aren’t immediate. Here’s what they write:
“In a world where people live with a buy now, pay later mentality (thank you Visa, Mastercard, AMEX), we are conditioned to act now and worry about the consequences of those actions later. We don’t invest in RRSPs for retirement for the same reason we don’t worry about smoking: The debt and the diseases won’t hit us until years later and by then it’s too late….What we need is something that will make us act now, without hesitation.”
- Ben and Heather of thecourtjester.wordpress.com
And what would that be? Why not visit Ben and Heather at The Court Jester and find out yourself - be warned though, it’s a crazy one!
farrukh
Technorati Tags: Advertising, Marketing, Ethical Advertising, Business Ethics, Corporate Social Responsibility, Tobacco Advertising, Shock Advertising, Anti-Smoking Ads
