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November 29, 2007

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NY's new unconvincing anti-domestic violence ad campaign

NY's anti-domestic violence campaign ad

OK, whatever, mom.

Sure, not slugging your girlfriend is probably the right thing to do, but it's such a drag!

Even teenage boys know that hitting girls is wrong and disrespectful, and illegal, but this approach makes domestic violence sound like something sort of fun and illicit, like filling up on Cheetos before dinner and blowing off Chemistry lab.

The TV ad for New York State's new domestic violence prevention ad campaign looks better.

NY domestic violence ad still

[download ads or read scripts]

The TV ad uses the same logic as those animated anti-pot smoking ads from earlier this year in which a stoner's girlfriend gets bored with him and goes off with a cute alien. Social scare tactics--that your friends and girls will think you're lame--are probably much more effective deterrents than moralistic scolding of "eat your vegetables" or "do your homework" or "dude, that weed is gonna blow your mind".

categories: Culture, Media, NYC
posted by amy at 9:53 AM | #

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Comments

I think I saw that "Awaiting Instructions" hoodie for sale at Hot Topic.

Posted by: T-Rock at November 29, 2007 11:36 AM

I don't think you understood the ad, really.

Respecting women isn't the same as not hitting them.

Posted by: Roxie at August 11, 2008 9:42 PM

Right, and respecting women shouldn't be presented as a chore that parents have to nag their sons to do.

I agree with you that treating women with respect and not beating them up are not the same thing. But the state administration that created the ad runs anti-domestic violence programs, so the ad implies that respecting women IS the same thing as not hitting them. Which is why it's not a good ad.

Posted by: Amy at August 11, 2008 11:20 PM

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