Daily Archives: May 21, 2008

Unintended messages

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What do Billie Joe Armstrong, Steve McNair and Keifer Sutherland have in common? They are all in a print ad together having been caught driving with excessive blood alcohol levels. Each got his own little mug shot (Keifer knows how to pose in any condition) and caption citing their blood alcohol levels atop assorted pictures of other sober, presumably reasonable people toasting and having business lunches over beers.
 
The ad was sponsored by some alcohol lobby or association who was suggesting that installing breathalyzers in cars is a bad idea. Primarily because they thought the gizmo’s threshold for inebriation would be set too low, curtailing social drinking.
 
No matter what side of this argument you are on, the ad is a mistake. Kids look up to Green Day’s Billie Joe, Jack Bauer and Air McNair. Telling the world these guys drink and drive is not something we need to be telling kids. It almost validates the behavior. 
 
Friends don’t let friends drink and drive.  Companies and organizations shouldn’t let each other promote drinking and driving in ways they don’t intent. Think people!