Government Ads: Here to Help

Government ads are big business up here. I'm not talking about political ads, which are as nauseating here as they are anywhere (though they rarely include a flag waving in the background). I mean ads sponsored by a government agency.

The health ministry in the Province of Ontario, for example, sponsors ads about West Nile Virus. The ads look great, and the province paid for good music--boomer-era oldies like "When Will I See You Again?" Each ad focuses on one technique Joe and Jane Canadian can use to protect against West Nile.

For example, one ad shows people getting rid of standing water (in a tire swing, in a birdbath). Another features an invisible man becoming visible after going for a dip in the pool, showing what a mosquito would see. The point is that you have to reapply repellent after sweating or getting wet.

Another series of ads, about preventing drunk driving, comes in two parts. The first part shows several vehicles, at night, with a short message across the bottom of the screen: "Took her keys." "Made him stay over." The sound is the song, "Lonely," one of those 1950s-type songs. It's 15 seconds.

After this spot, they show at least one other commercial, then they show part 2. To the Peaches and Herb hit "Reunited," smiling people approach the same cars that had been "so lonely" in the previous spot. It's now morning, and because their friends cared, not one of these people drove drunk.

All of these ads are simple and focused: one message per ad. They don't have voiceovers. The actors are your basic attractive multicultural folks, but they don't speak. The point is the message, and the messages are positive even though the topics really aren't.

I don't know what the budgets are for these types of ads, but the ads sure aren't cheap. Are they effective? I know only that I paid attention and this summer actually found myself on the lookout for standing water that provides breeding grounds for mosquitoes. That's pretty amazing. I'm the kind of person who has paid attention to Gap ads for years (remember "everyone in khaki"?) without buying anything there once. And the Joe Boxer dancing guy? Never fails to bring a smile to my face, but needless to say, I don't buy a lot of boxers. So an ad that forces me to think about its message and changes my behavior is rare.

Is this the best way for the public healthcare system to spend money? Maybe yes, maybe no. The healthcare system works best when people don't get sick or injured--especially when young, otherwise healthy people stay that way. The ads are one gentle reminder of ways Canadians can take care of their health, and that of their friends. Besides, they create work for Canadian ad agencies. All together, perhaps that's enough value to justify them.