I saw two “Quit Smoking” advertisements in the same local newspaper – the Good and the Bad.
The Good ad had the image of a WWII “Rosie the Riveter” type of upraised arm and clenched fist, with the slogan “You Can Do It!” (Remember Rosie’s “We Can Do It?” poster?)
The message below the image said that the hospital that sponsored the ad gave out free nicotine patches and gum and offered counseling to smokers wishing to quit.
Excellent! Treated smokers like adults and seemed to be more than just empty words (free stuff!)
By contrast, another hospital used the “Rosie the Guilt Tripper” tack (OK – I made that up).
Their ad carried a vague message about secondhand smoke hurting everybody. Then, a fervent wish that smokers would remember the grave danger every time they light up. This “Bad” ad carried the image of a local person – who is not exactly a scold, but is well known for her strong anti-drinking views, prior to her jumping on the anti-smoking bus.
This ad was part of a months-long campaign featuring frightening warnings about the risk of secondhand smoke – secondhand smoke that seems to cause every bad thing except being banished to Hades (and not offering that place only because you can still smoke there).
I’ve been bombarded by more than two dozen “Bad” ads run by the one health group and only seen the one “Good” ad run by the other group. But should I ever want to get help with quitting, I know who I’d contact!
