Anti-Drug Promotion/Campaign
Feature below is an anti-drug initiative created by the Australian Government to target marijuana (cannabis) usage, especially in teens. It shows an image of a teenage boy who appears to be a swimmer. He is forlornly looking over the edge of a pool into a reflection of what his future could have looked like, if he hadn't smoked marijuana. The reflection shows a swimmer pumping his fist into the air as the crowd cheers on his success. The swimmer's expression is one of pride and joy which effectively contrasts with the boy's gloomy expression. This, along with the explanatory text, portrays the message that by using marijuana, especially when you are a teenager and your future is so important, can quickly take away all of your potential to do well and succeed in life. This campaign is effective as teenagers are in the stage of their lives where they are considering their future and by showing them quite simply in the campaign, that marijuana will ruin all of this, makes them realise that cannabis usage is a bad idea. The advertisement also is great as it states how and where to get help from in a clear manner so if teenagers view this advertisement and second guess the idea of using cannabis, they can find out more information through the links provided in the campaign. Finally, the slogan, "Smoking marijuana wastes potential," is short and succinct, making it easy for teenagers to remember. This is a good factor for a slogan to have because teenagers have to be able to remember it during times of drug temptation so they can say refuse drugs or look for a healthier alternative. Overall, the campaign below is effective by using contrasting images, a memorable slogan and links to more information, making it a suitable promotion for teenagers to view.