An EX-traordinary Ad

See the bus stop ad above? It is part of the highly successful Yellow Ribbon campaign organised by a whole host of different agencies and NGOs, which aim to integrate ex offenders back into society. I remembered watching the TV commercial which was rather emotional and heartwarming.

What caught my attention was the bold black headline:

EX-DRUG USER NOW HIGH ON

followed by the tiny words…

inspiring youths

Let’s use the good old advertising mnemonic AIDA and see how this compares.

Attention – This one certainly scores here, albeit in a sensational fashion.
Interest – Yep, I would be interested to read more about it.
Desire – Well, I think the jury is out on this one. Unfortunately, this time around, this ad didn’t evoke any emotional response from me.
Action – Again, the connection here somehow isn’t that strong.

Personally, I felt that this ad may have worked better if they didn’t squeeze in so much tiny text at the bottom. Bus stop shelters are usually better with one simple message that serves a branding/ positioning purpose.

It would also be better if the linkage between the promise in the headline (inspiring youths) and the activities highlighted in the body copy below were tighter. The walk, fair, and community art exhibition, while certainly great events in themselves, somehow isn’t linked to the idea of inspiring youths. What do you think?

Having said that, do support this worthy cause and wear a yellow ribbon. I am certainly glad that they are continuing this year after year.