Monday 10 March 2008

Polemic promotion campaign against drugs

A controversial campaign against drug use and abuse of alcohol in the corridors and recreation areas of the Mackenzie Presbyterian University in São Paulo implemented immediately at the beginning of the new school year raised many a reaction from the students. From morbid, gross till good and gives you stuff to think and discuss about.
Beneath other publication objects, most of the attention is concentrated on the waste bins which are decorated with faces of youngsters, while a card at the top of the bin states: “This is what is inside the head of somebody using drugs.” and “This is how it looks inside the head of a drug user.”

The design of the campaign is from the hand of Publicis, a company which takes care of all the public relations activities of the university. According to the vice-president of the bureau, Guilherme Jahara, it was intentional to be controversial. “As drugs have a strong impact, the propaganda about this issue should have a similar impact. I used this argument to sell the campaign.”

By the way the photographed faces are not students, but professional models hired by the promotion bureau. Publicis has plans to implement more of these attention requiring controversial objects on the university grounds.

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