U.S. ANTIDRUG CAMPAIGN TO BE CLOSELY MONITORED

The $2 billion federally sponsored campaign to keep kids from using
drugs is putting the government into the unfamiliar business of
measuring advertising effectiveness.

U.S. drug czar Barry R. McCaffrey, a retired four star general, knows
a lot about accountability in the military. Friday, he said he would
hold Madison Avenue to the same high standard.

"There are no points for style," Gen. McCaffrey said in an address to
the American Association of Advertising Agencies, many of whom provide
free creative work for the campaign, which was launched' in 1998.
"We've got to achieve an outcome. We have to change the way Americans
act," the general said at the group's annual meeting in Amelia Island,
Fla.

Gen. McCaffrey believes the five year campaign the most expensive ever
launched by the government will pay off. But he wants hard numbers to
prove it. That means the campaign also is likely to become the most
closely monitored in U.S. advertising history. The oft quoted $2
billion price tag includes in kind donations as well as federal money.

First, ads must pass a rigorous six step evaluation. Then their real
world performance is put under a microscope. The government has hired
scientific survey firm Westat to question about 20,000 children and
parents every six months to measure the campaign's progress. Market
researchers also will do telephone sampling every month or two, for
more immediate feedback.

"There's a lot of pressure for us to use the money in the most
efficient way possible," says Shelly Lazarus, chairman and chief
executive officer of WPP Group's Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide, which in
December won a contract to coordinate the campaign and place ads nationwide.

If the campaign succeeds, the government will be more likely to boost
funding for other so called social marketing n g programs, such as
AIDS prevention and efforts to combat teen pregnancy and underage
drinking, ad industry experts say. If it fails, federal money could
dry up. Insights into teen behavior gleaned from Gen. McCaffrey's
detailed studies also may help shape youth antismoking strategies.
Last year's tobacco industry settlement earmarked $1.45 billion to pay
for a national ad campaign.

The early results are encouraging, officials of the Office of National
Drug Control Policy say. Surveys in 12 test cities last year found
that awareness of the antidrug messages increased markedly during a
six month pilot program, which started in the beginning of 1998. The
number of children who said the ads made them realize drugs are
dangerous rose in the test cities, while declining in 12 cities used
as a control group. Calls to antidrug hotlines rose in the test cities.

Paying for prime air time and ad space has helped the government get
out the antidrug word, as have intend contributions from broadcasters
and other media outlets. The value of the donations has more than
matched the amount spent by the agency, officials say. Officials say
their target audience of middleschool students and their parents now
see an average of one antidrug ad a day.

Many of the initial spots were pulled from the inventory of the
nonprofit Partnership for a Drug Free America. One of Gen. McCaffrey's
favorites is an updated version of the "This is your brain on drugs"
ads of the '80s, which showed an egg sizzling in a frying pan. In the
newer spot, a young woman says: "This is your brain. This is your
brain on heroin," as she crushes an egg with a frying pan, then
demolishes the kitchen.

Campaign planners also have commissioned ads designed to reach
specific target groups, including Hispanics and African Americans and
Asian Americans. Eleven languages are used in the ads. More will be
added soon, including Aleut dialects, so the government can speak to
Native Americans in Alaska. "This is, without a question, the most
formidable multicultural advertising campaign ever mounted by the
federal government," says Daniel R. Merrick, a senior partner at
Ogilvy & Mather.

Ogilvy & Mather has brought in a handful of smaller firms specializing
in advertising for different ethnic groups. All spots also are
reviewed by a panel of academic experts on human behavior. These two
groups have provided advice ranging from the best way to reach Native
American audiences (tribal newspapers and radio) to what kind of
images work with Chinese parents (most of whom have never seen a
"joint" and have no idea what the word means).

Most of the advertising aimed at kids is segmented by age and risk
factors. Younger children (ages 9 to 11), respond to stark right and
wrong messages. Older children are more likely to see shades of gray.
All the ads are rated to see if they are attention grabbing, have
credibility with the target audience and are able to change attitudes
and, ultimately, behavior.

Shona Seifert, another Ogilvy & Mather senior partner, says kids take
the antidrug message most seriously when it comes from other kids:
"The more it seems like parents talking down to them, the less
effective it will be."