BOUGHT AND SOLD

Our federal government is spending $1 billion on an anti-drug advertising
campaign. Half of the funds will be tax money and the other half will be
industry freebies, which of course means that the ads will be marked up to
generate giant profits for the advertising companies. Will kids at risk
suddenly see the light because they see a hip ad on TV telling them to just
say no? Will some angry, heroin-chic model in a skin-tight teddy smashing
an egg with a frying pan be relevant to a homeless 9-year-old Latino in
South Miami?

These ads will coexist with the seduction of many more beer, perfume and
other conspicuous-consumption ads that utilize the allure of intoxication
in all forms to move the goods.

Our government likes the ad campaign quick fix to create the illusion that
it is doing something. What is especially insulting is that they believe
the average American buys into this fluff. There is precious little direct
scientific evidence to support the contention that behavioral ads targeted
at motivating people to cease doing something they enjoy are effective.
Effective advertising does exactly the opposite.

Richard L. Wottrich, president, DSI Investment Banking Services

Checked-by: Mike Gogulski