I'm not a fan of ads that rely on shock value. I'm not saying that they can't be effective, but overall, I think they're a cop out and a form of lazy marketing. Today, I found an example of an ad on Adgoodness that relies on the shock factor to an extreme.
The ad comes from Amnesty International, and it was created by TBWA Paris. The copy reads, "300,000 child soldiers dream of being children." Check out the ad below.
What do you think? Is this type of imagery appropriate in advertising? I'm curious to know where the ad was placed. This is certainly not a visual I would want children to see. Certainly the cause is important, but I'm not sure if this ad is the right way to get the message across to customers to help Amnesty International.
I don't even think the copy does much to help encourage people to donate to or support Amnesty International. Yes, it's all very shocking and disturbing, but will it get the job done in terms of generating donations? Publicity yes, donations, I don't know.
The same can be said of an organization like PETA who relies on shock value to generate publicity - I suppose under the assumption that bad publicity is better than no publicity.
Let's get some discussion going on this one. What do you think about this ad and ads that rely on shock value?
I think this is a very effective ad... provided the image is real and hasn't been photoshopped.
This ad is not a cheap-thrills-are-you-going-to-see-a-little T & A ad. Furthermore this ad and its image is at the heart of what Amnesty is all about.
Posted by: Pat | January 6, 2008 1:23 AM | Permalink to Comment