If your friend drinks too much and is sexually assaulted, is it your fault? The Control Tonight campaign by Pennsylvania Liquor Control Commission says it is. These ads are taking the blame away from people who drink too much and putting them on other people (friends) who should have prevented this excessive drinking in the first place.
As Jezebel points out, sexual assault does occur a lot when alcohol is involved, but ultimately, this kind of shockvertising "is not increasing awareness, it's just shifting blame away from the rapist and onto the victim and, oddly, the victim's friends."
Along with the ads centered on rape, the Control Tonight campaign features a few other ad "stories" -- for instance, your friend had alcohol poisoning and had to get her stomach pumped. On the campaign site, you have the option to click on a button that reveals how you could have prevented the unfortunate event from occurring or clicking to experience another unfortunate story.
Blame-Transferring PSAs
Control Tonight Campaign Condemns Friends for Excessive Drinking
Trend Themes
1. Blame-shifting Psas - Opportunity for disruptive innovation in creating PSAs that focus on personal accountability and prevention rather than shifting blame.
2. Awareness-raising Psas - Opportunity for disruptive innovation in developing PSAs that educate and raise awareness about the risks and consequences of excessive drinking.
3. Empowerment-focused Psas - Opportunity for disruptive innovation in designing PSAs that empower individuals to take control of their own drinking habits and make informed choices.
Industry Implications
1. Advertising - Disruptive innovation opportunity in the advertising industry to create more effective and responsible PSAs that address the issue of excessive drinking.
2. Alcohol Industry - Disruptive innovation opportunity for the alcohol industry to develop and promote responsible drinking campaigns that prioritize individual accountability.
3. Public Health - Disruptive innovation opportunity in the public health sector to create targeted and impactful education campaigns that focus on preventing excessive drinking and related risks.