Level(s): Grades 9 to 11
Overview
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In this lesson, students explore a variety of anti-drinking and alcohol awareness campaigns in order to determine their effectiveness. Students will deconstruct the different approaches that have been used by various organizations to reach teens and young adults and will debate those techniques that are most likely to resonate with youth. In a summative activity, groups of students create and implement an alcohol awareness campaign for students.
Learning Outcomes
Students will demonstrate
an understanding of:
- the significance of public awareness campaigns in influencing public opinion on important issues
- the importance of focus testing in the research process
- the planning, implementation and assessment of focus groups
- the different types of messages about alcohol consumption that are promoted in public awareness messaging by various groups
- the consequences associated with drinking
an awareness of:
- the process by which public awareness campaigns are developed
Preparation and Materials
Prepare the following PSAs and paid ads about Drinking overheads:
Procedure
Class Discussion
Ask students:
- What is a public service announcement, or PSA?
(The American Ad Council defines PSAs as “advertising that serves the public interest.” The objective of a public service announcement is to educate and create awareness of significant social issues in an effort to change the public’s attitudes and behaviours and stimulate positive social change.
PSAs are usually developed by non-profit organizations [or as part of the social responsibility mandate of various industries] and may involve TV and radio spots, movie content, and print messages on billboards, posters, brochures and postcards.
As part of their licensing agreements, Canadian television stations must broadcast public service announcements. For other campaigns, non-profit organizations will often partner with a sponsor.)
- Can you think of any public service messages that you’ve seen recently?
- What are some of the topics or issues PSAs address? (Name the issue – it’s probably been tackled at one time or another. PSAs address an incredibly broad cross-section of social concerns: everything from keeping your dog away from anti-freeze, to pollution, work safety, heart disease, childhood hunger, and the dangers of smoking and drinking.)
- When it comes to drinking, what are some of the issues associated with alcohol that PSAs might address? (The most common answer will probably be drinking and driving campaigns. These have been phenomenally successful in raising public awareness about the dangers of drinking and driving. Other issues include: binge drinking, long-term health consequences of drinking, impaired decision making, personal vulnerability and advertising myths.)
Depending on the target audience, PSAs use different approaches to direct their messages. What might be the advantages or disadvantages of the following styles?
- Humour (Catches your attention, especially for kids and teens, but humour may trivialize serious issues.)
- Shock treatment (Provides a realistic look at an issue, but may turn people off entirely. Also, broadcasters may be reluctant to broadcast PSAs they feel may be too controversial.)
- Preaching (There’s a fine line between earnestness and appearing to be patronizing.)
- Using a celebrity (Celebrities do get favourable attention, but sometimes people are so distracted by the celebrity they forget the message.)
What do you think are the qualities that make up an effective PSA? (According to Bill Goodwill, CEO of Goodwill Communications, effective PSAs:
- are relevant to their audience
- are interesting or entertaining
- leave the audience with a message that can be summarized in a single declarative sentence
- demand an action or response from the audience
- are empathetic are simple in their execution
- can be easily adapted for different media
- use the strengths of each medium to build a message)
We’re now going to take a look at some sample PSAs and paid ads about the dangers associated with drinking.
(Note: the “Before and After” poster is particularly graphic and may be disturbing to some students. You may choose not to show it; however, it does represent a public awareness campaign that is currently being used in schools in Texas and does provide a realistic portrayal of the devastating effects of drinking and driving.)
(Place Shock Effects onto the overhead projector.)
1. "Before and After"
This prevention campaign was developed by the Texas Department of Transportation and features 24-year-old Jacqueline Saburido, victim of an accident involving a drunk driver. “Her gripping story is the centrepiece of a comprehensive anti-impaired driving campaign targeting underage drinkers, college students and young adults. People throughout the world are saying ‘Before and After’ is one of the most powerful campaigns ever developed to call attention to the consequences of drunk driving.” This campaign includes an extensive education program.
2. Drinking and Driving Is No Accident
This paid ad campaign, from the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), uses three-dimensional billboards with an actual crashed car and the message “Drinking and Driving is no Accident.” These billboards appeared in cities across Ontario.
Ask students:
- What is the main message for each campaign?
- What are the similarities and differences between these two campaigns?
- Which of these is most effective in illustrating the dangers of drunk driving? Why?
- Would either of these influence you personally? Why or why not?
- Jacquie’s poster is an example of using extreme shock value to get a message across. As we discussed earlier, a downside of using shocking elements is that they can be so disconcerting that people are repelled from the ad and the message. Do you think this poster is an effective or ineffective use of shock value?
(Place Using Humour on the overhead projector. All three of these posters address messages that appear in alcohol ads.)
1. Adbusters: “Absolute End” and “Absolute Hangover”
The Canadian organization Adbusters is well known for its “spoof ads” that parody popular advertising campaigns. In the case of the ads shown here, Adbusters is parodying Absolut Vodka ads.
The small print for “Absolute End” reads: “Nearly 50% of automobile fatalities are linked to alcohol. 10% of North Americans are alcoholics. A teenager sees 100,000 alcohol ads before reaching the legal drinking age.”
2. Screwed
This PSA, created by MADD and FACE – Truth and Clarity on Alcohol, reads: “The alcohol industry snuffs out the truth by showing alcohol as sexy and exciting. Bigger bottles as you drink more and sweet to mimic stuff you drank as a kid. Frogs, lizards, breasts and dumb @$$’# to snag you. Final twist ... You pay the price. Don’t buy the lie.”
- Who do you think is the target audience for these ads?
- What assumptions do they make about their target audience?
- What is the main message of each ad?
- Are they effective? Why or why not?
- Is humour an appropriate tool for addressing these issues?
(Place Serious Messages onto the overhead projector.)
1. Don’t let good times turn bad
This PSA, produced by MADD and FACE, reads: “Assault. Burns. Drowning. Car crashes. Rape. Suicides. Alcohol Poisoning. You can die from drinking too much. You can also drown, get burned, get in a fight, get raped, fall off a balcony or end up in a wheelchair. Stop drinking fast and hard. Don’t let good times turn bad.”
2. Best night of my life
This campaign, created by the LCBO, is distributed every May and June. The caption reads: “Your prom should be memorable – for all the right reasons. You know you don’t need to drink to have fun. Plan ahead and make smart choices. Don’t let drinking flush your prom night down the drain.”
3. The last thing you remember is dancing
Another ad from MADD and FACE, this poster reads: “The last thing you remember is dancing. How you got here is pretty much a blur. You went to a party, drank way too much and aren’t really sure where you’re going now. Who is this guy anyway? It started out fun, but now it doesn’t feel so great. Next time – stay at the party if you want, dance, get to know the guy – but lighten up on the alcohol. Take care of the girl in the mirror.”
- Do any of these ads cross the fine line between seriousness and preaching? If they do, explain how.
- What is the target audience for each?
- What techniques are used to appeal to the target audience?
- Which are most effective? Why?
- Which are least effective? Why?
- Would any of these messages influence your own decisions regarding alcohol?
Place Industry Campaigns onto the overhead projector.
A criticism of public service campaigns created by the alcohol industry is that they often downplay the serious problems associated with alcohol abuse.
- Do you think any of these posters downplays the problems associated with alcohol? How? (The Anheuser Busch “True or False” quiz is intended for college students. The message, that most students drink responsibly, flies in the face of concerns over what has been termed an epidemic of binge drinking on college campuses. The other Anheuser Busch ad, about parents being able to influence their kids, implies to parents that everything is under control: as long as parents tell their kids not to drink, they won’t. “Be Careful” also makes light of the serious consequences of binge drinking, and Molson’s uninspiring “Don’t drink and drive” is clichéd and unlikely to resonate with young adults. Nowhere in these campaigns is “not drinking at all” suggested as an option.)
- Who are the target audiences for each of these campaigns?
- Do you think any of these campaigns would be effective? Which ones? Why?
- Do you think the alcohol industry is sincere in its efforts to promote responsible drinking? Why or why not?
Think about the PSAs we’ve just looked at.
- Is it possible to deliver messages about serious issues in a positive manner?
- What are some positive messages that could be used to encourage young people not to drink? (For example, good friends don’t need alcohol to have a good time; there are lots of fun things to do that don’t involve drinking; it’s okay to say “No thanks”; not drinking is your choice, and so on.)
As a class, review Elements of a Successful PSA Campaign.
Group Activity: Planning a public awareness campaign.
Divide the class into groups of approximately five or six students each.
In their groups, have students review and discuss the Middlesex-London Health Unit Binge Drinking Campaign: Case Study. Take up answers as a class. Ensure students understand the concept of focus groups and how they operate.
In this activity, students will create public awareness campaigns that relate to alcohol use. They may choose any drinking-related issue for the focus of their campaign. The target audience will be fellow students in their class.
Steps include the following:
- Select an issue to address
- Conduct research on that issue
- Establish the goals (end results) of the campaign
- Establish the objectives of the campaign (what do you want to develop knowledge/awareness of?)
- Research the target audience through focus groups (knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, tastes and preferences)
- Establish the main message(s) (For example, the LCBO’s “Smart Choices” campaign offers some excellent suggestions that could be the basis of campaign messages: know the law, don’t drink and drive, be aware of risks, keep your edge, stay smart, less is more, stand up to pressure, don’t kid yourself, watch out for lethal mixes, be a good friend, recognize the warning signs.)
- Decide on the method that will be used to spread the message(s): billboards? Posters? Radio spots? Television? Magazines? Focus testing questions should include those that help the group determine the best medium to reach the target audience. Groups may use more than one medium if they wish. (Samples of different types of ads can be found on the ApolNet Web site, on the sidebar.)
- Create the campaign, including the PSA and an implementation plan
- Present the campaign and findings to the class
Focus Groups
The target audience of this campaign will be the students’ own classmates. Two class periods should be set aside for focus group sessions. Each group will prepare and run a focus session with another group. In one class, half the groups will conduct sessions, while the others become interviewees, and in the second class, groups will reverse roles.
In order to prepare for focus groups, students should be instructed as follows:
- Develop concrete, simple open-ended questions that will elicit the information you need about your target audience in order to develop a meaningful and effective campaign. In order to develop these questions, the group must have a very clear idea about what they are looking for during the focus group process. During the focus group session, stick to these questions.
- Select one group member to act as a moderator. This individual should be focused, familiar with what you need to know, a good listener, friendly and able to keep everyone on track. A good moderator should be able to probe for more information and draw answers out of participants. He or she should also be able to diplomatically “tone down” dominant interviewees, and get shyer participants to speak up. (Other group members will act as note-takers during the questioning. They will not be able to participate directly in the focus groups but will observe and help in interpreting and applying the information collected.) Remember, you want to create an environment where people feel relaxed and comfortable discussing these issues.
Emphasize the importance of interviewees respecting moderators and their classmates during this process. Traditionally, people who participate in focus tests receive some sort of payment or reward. Students conducting focus groups may wish to bring cookies or treats to “reward” those being interviewed. Each student will be asked to submit a one-page reflection on his or her focus group experience.
Evaluation
Groups will be assessed on the following:
- An outline of the issue, including in-depth information/statistics, identification of target audience, goals and objectives
- Focus group questions
- Focus group summary and analysis
- Individual reflection on the focus group process
- Main messages based on focus groups
- Final PSA and campaign
Extension Activity
Every year MADD Canada sponsors an essay writing and poster campaign. Groups may wish to enter their posters in this campaign. Anyone can enter the contest at a local and/or national level in either of the age categories: Category One: 10 years and under, and Category Two: 11 to 14 years old. Information about this campaign can be found on the MADD Web site at: .
