Clever Advertising

While I believe that drug prevention advertisements are completely useless (in fact I think they may even promote druge use), I have to say that the Office of National Drug Control Policy has come up with a clever device in their latest series of ads. The "my anti-drug" series, at least focuses on the source of drug abuse, self-esteem, rather than on wasting everyone's time trying to scare kids straight with unrealistic scenarios, but I still think they're worthless. Pretty much, they're created and placed so that parents will think the government is at least doing SOMETHING.

Anyway, what strikes me in viewing these commercials is the typeface they're using. It's a free-hand type, housed within what is obviously the suggestion of a form. I suppose we could assume that this form look is meant to suggest that each of us has the ability to fill in whatever answer we have to the question of "what is our anti-drug?". That would be too simple though. I'm giving Madison Avenue more credit here. I believe the aim of this format lies in the occassions in which we must fill out forms. It's always a setting of formality. If I'm filling out a form, 90% of the time I'm either applying for a job, or interfacing with a government entity. In either case, any association with drugs is a bad thing, and I'm certainly not in that emotionally relaxed state in which I'd use drugs. The suggestion of a form, a tool of an orderly, and obedient society, is the perfect subliminal message to send to possible drug-users.

Technorati Tags: Anti-drug, Marijuana, Drugs, Advertising