Successful Advertising?

Yeah, this picture is real. You can check it out on the AdRANTS website, a newsblog that follows the state of the advertising and media industries. The publisher seems to think the ads were placed either by someone with a sense of humor, or by the oft-blamed error of human stupidity... It's hard to believe it's that innocent in a situation where money is changing hands.

But can you believe it? Of course you can. My first impulse was to laugh and think, "well, that's not very suprising at all." But think for a second about the implications of such a statement. Are we so accustomed to marketing as to ignore how blatantly ridiculous it is to have a McDonald's ad (paid for by the corporation) placed directly underneath a public service health awareness ad (most likely paid for by our tax dollars)? Let's take a moment to ponder its contents, shall we:

The smaller print on the 'childhood obesity' ad reads:

"EAT FRUITS AND VEGETABLES AND BE ACTIVE"

The woman, a doctor, is very serious about childhood obesity... the stern look, the white coat, the clever-yet-admonishing tagline: "don't take it lightly." How many of us like going to see the doctor? How many of us are made to feel bad when we do? The struggle towards self-improvement is rarely, if ever, accomplished by strong disapproval from authoritative figures (think about mom for a minute...). One's relationship to food is a harder habit to kick than most addictions. WE NEED FOOD TO LIVE. How useful is it then, to make one feel bad for the food that one eats? Don't get me wrong, I believe that people should eat better. In addition, I believe that it should be a universal right in a society of plenty for everyone to have access to affordable, good quality food. The message on the billboard to eat better is accompanied by a phone number for more information about FOOD STAMPS, acknowledging how difficult it is in our society to be able to afford to eat well and to make sure that our children do too. The image overall is one of consternation, a warning from the health care professionals to all of us gluttonous sloths to get off our asses and stop frivolously indulging in things not of the fruit and vegetable matter.

Conversely, the young woman depicted on the McDonald's ad is having a grand ol' time, with her bags full of goodies off the dollar menu. Her brightly smiling face and slim figure is set against a backdrop of vibrant, eye-catching green and larger-than-life images of ice cream, burgers, and those famous french fries. Who would you rather be friends with: the doctor or the McD's girl? And with food items that cost only a dollar apiece, where else can one go on a shopping spree these days? Certainly not at the supermarket, where a healthy, organic bell pepper can easily cost $5.99 a pound! Why, you can get 6 burgers at that price!! And, boy oh boy, doesn't a shopping spree sound fun??

The smaller print on the McDonald's ad reads:

"I'M LOVIN' IT"

Now, if you could feed a whole family for the price of just a pound of bellpeppers, which would you choose?

If you've been told all your life that you can consume your way out of misery, what would you do?

And if you were fed conflicting information every day through television, news, advertising, friends, family, co-workers, professionals, experts, charletons, sit-coms, and Oprah, how would you process this information?

I say smash your tv and join me for a run in the park.