cannabisnews.com: White House To End Drugs & Terror Ads





White House To End Drugs & Terror Ads
Posted by CN Staff on April 01, 2003 at 14:13:01 PT
By Ira Teinowitz 
Source: AdAge.com 
Washington -- The White House anti-drug office will end its controversial drugs-and-terror advertising campaign and, in a reversal, shift more of its $150 million budget toward children's media as it fights for Congress to extend the program another five years. The Office of National Drug Control Policy will also cease a polarizing $8 million annual study that found the ads aimed at youth were not working and that pitted the drug office against the Partnership for a Drug-Free America. 
Youth-oriented media Now, the office will direct 60% of its buys toward youth-oriented media -- the same percentage it had previously directed at adults -- and will focus on halting drug use among children already using rather than aim to deter youth from starting drugs. The drugs-and-terror ads will end in May. The drugs-and-terror campaign first broke five months after the Sept. 11 attacks, with two Super Bowl ads that cost the drug office more than $3 million to run. The spots centered on the idea that people who purchase drugs help fund terrorism. One ad showed a shopping list that includes an AK-47 rifle. "Where do terrorists get their money?" said the voice-over. "If you buy drugs, some of it might come from you." Later ads replaced "terrorism" with "terror," suggesting drug buys supported drug-cartel attacks on innocent civilians. Ogilvy & Mather controversy The ads were controversial not only because of their message, but because of the way they were produced. While almost all White House Office of National Drug Control Policy creative comes from the Partnership, the terrorism ads were produced outside the Partnership by the drug office's agency, WPP Group's Ogilvy & Mather. The Partnership said the ads were off-strategy and refused to do any of the spots. Partnership Vice Chairman Allen Rosenshine, chairman-CEO of Omnicom Group's BBDO Worldwide, ripped the campaign in a congressional hearing. Spending cuts The battle, coming to a drug office already wounded by complaints over Ogilvy's initial stewardship of the account, bolstered congressional critics who tried to cut spending dramatically. They eventually reduced it by about $25 million to about $150 million. Legislation to continue the program is expected to soon be proposed by a bipartisan group of senators. Reps. Mark Souder, R-Ind., chairman of the Government Reform panel, and Rob Portman, R-Ohio, said last week that it would likely include language limiting the drug office's ability to go outside the Partnership for creative and also language that could require the drug office to rebid the contract won last year by Ogilvy. Note: Also Stops Study That Found Campaign Wasn't Working.Newshawk: JR Bob Dobbs Source: AdAge.com Author: Ira Teinowitz Published: April 01, 2003Copyright: 2003 Crain Communications Inc. Contact: editor adage.comWebsite: http://www.adage.com/Related Articles:Anti-Drug PSA's Must Be Identifiedhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14693.shtmlInside The White House Drug Office Tanglehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14056.shtmlSurvey: Anti-Drug Ads Ineffective http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12850.shtml 
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Comment #3 posted by freedom fighter on April 01, 2003 at 23:47:10 PT
Indeed why wait???
Let's grab the last 5 months to rub that in the nose of a fool who knew that long time ago...What I want to know who the hell okay this? I want every penny accounted for so I can mail a form for a refund!In fact, starting this week, I want a (*) disclaimer on every stupid ad you going to broadcast that these ads will be stop five months from now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Here comes the Johnny Pisslover walters aint gonna say a damn thing. For next five months my friends, he is gonna say that he knew that long time ago but buddy johnny, you forgot something, you are all alone in a sandbox with noone to play with..I want my (*****) disclaimer! or send me a d check!PAZff
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Comment #2 posted by JustGetnBy on April 01, 2003 at 17:28:57 PT
Hasta La Bye Bye
If This doesn't give john Pee Walters the old heave ho, then were'e in deeper trouble than I thought.
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Comment #1 posted by afterburner on April 01, 2003 at 16:28:20 PT:
Why Wait?
Dead air would be more informative and more truthful than these highly-misleading and discredited ads. Cancel now. Let some fresh air into the Sweeps.ego destruction or ego transcendence, that is the question.
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