Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Teen Pregnancy: Dirty Diaper, Scratch and Sniff Campaign

There's a new ad campaign in Milwaukee to discourage teen pregnancy.

According to the United Way, Milwaukee is among the top ten cities in the country with the highest teen pregnancy rates.

From WISN:

Posters of dirty diapers have been put up at several bus shelters in Milwaukee.

It's part of an ongoing ad campaign by the United Way and Serve Marketing to combat teen pregnancy.

...The posters show a dirty diaper with the words "scratch and sniff" on them.

In the middle is a message that says, "This doesn't really stink, but the consequences of teen pregnancy sure do."

"It's supposed to make you not feel good. It's gross on purpose because we want teens to realize the real consequences of teen pregnancy are really hard and by putting up a dirty diaper, we're catching teens by surprise," said Gary Mueller of Serve Marketing.

If a poster of a dirty diaper is effective in persuading teens to avoid pregnancy, then I guess the gross-out factor has some value. However, I would be surprised if the posters do alter reckless behavior.

It does make one realize the depths to which organizations like the United Way must sink to get through to these clueless, irresponsible, immature teens.

The posters went up at four bus shelters with the highest concentrations of students.

Just four bus shelters adorned with this "crap," literally, hardly is a saturation campaign.

Still, I hope the posters are in locations that aren't frequented by tourists and other visitors to Milwaukee.

They aren't exactly very appetizing.

I wouldn't want one outside my business, especially if I ran a restaurant. I wouldn't want to look out of my hotel window and see a bus shelter with this unsightly though mercifully odorless poster.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

So your pregnant and you see that sign and you think. "oh no, NOT DIAPERS, anything but that!"

What would you do next?

garym said...

Actually, the dirty diaper board is part of a three year campaign aimed at unglamorizing teen pregnancy and showing the negative consequences of TP to teens (in a way that's understandable to them now). We launch a new campaign every two months all year and reach teens in surprising and engaging ways and it seems to be working. After 20 years of TP getting worse in Milwaukee, last year it was reported the first drop in over two decades. And a huge one at that. 10% reduction. You may not agree with the tactics, but it seems to be having a positive impact... At least on the kids.

Unknown said...

I'd like to see if baby killing went up. Because then your cure is worse.