Central government advertising campaigns are designed to persuade Essay

Central government advertising campaigns are designed to persuade rather than to inform citizens about policy - Essay Example This essay describes why advertisement campaigns of the Central Government in the UK are persuasive, but not informative. In order to establish the reasons there are 5 are certain examples of the kind of advertising by the Central Government in the UK. This "Central government advertising campaigns are designed to persuade rather than to inform citizens about policy" essay outlines five UK's Government's advertisement and why they are not effective. 1. NHS Anti Smoking: Smoke, and your body takes a beating – The main purpose of this ad would be to inform the people that smoking is bad for their health. It shows us a man who is smoking a cigarette and it seems like he is being beaten very badly by an invisible person (UTalk Marketing 2009). The ad ends with the warning: ‘Smoke, and your body takes a beating.’ But by showing just how drastic an effect smoking can have on one’s body, the campaign ensures that it has the attention of smokers and non-smokers and might be able to convince them to leave the habit, or not take it up in the first place. 2. Change4Life: Me-sized meals – This ad focuses on the rising problem of obesity and its various effects such as cancer, type two diabetes and so on. The problem of obesity begins at the infant stage, when mothers over-feed their young children in the name of ensuring they get enough nourishment, and therefore make them fat at a young age. The ad goes on to convince them to give their children meals that are proportionate to their size, and not serve them grown up portions. (Department of Health 2009). By using a child to convey this message, this ad ensures that the parents get the message, loud and clear. 3. Swine Flu: Going down – Some people need to be reminded of simple things such as you should cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze so you do not spread the germs. (Search For Truth 2009). This ad shows how a simple act such as sneezing and not covering your mouth can infect everyone around you. The ad conveys this message very well by showing the chain reaction one man might set off by sneezing in a public space like an elevator. The best part is when a child offers the ill man a tissue, showing that it’s just that simple. 4. Speed limit: Kill your speed or live with it – Speeding has always been a major concern to every government. This ad is simple and effective. It shows you the consequences of speeding – which you have to live with for the rest of your life. A man sees the dead body of a young boy he has killed because of over speeding, everywhere, all the time (ThinkUK 2009). He ca not do anything to change what he did, he just has to live with it. The ad very cleverly uses the concept of survivor’s guilt and sends a strong message to the audience. 5. Drug Drive TV: Eyes – Everyone reminds people about drunken driving. This ad talks about Drug driving, and how the eyes of a person have an involuntary reaction to drugs, that can be spotted by the policemen (ThinkUKa 2009). It goes on to warn the teenagers that drug driving is a serious offence and has the same consequences as drunken driving. The ad is simple, and effective. And it shows the target that they cannot hide the fact that they are under the influence. Based on the ads described above, it is understandable why the central government’s advertising is more persuasive than informative. All of the causes that have are being advertised – smoking, obesity, swine flu, over speeding, drug driving – are problems that not many take seriously. People are of the opinion that there should be a lot more discipline in the way the government’s finances are used especially when it comes to advertising. In the opinion of Parliament: Select Committee on Communications (2009), ‘advertising should focus on areas when there is a clear public benefit such as safety or public health campaigns’. Thus, it is essential that the government not just get people’s attention and inform them of the consequences