Lifelounge, Melbourne’s awareness campaign for drug ice creates shift in attitude in 18-25 year-olds
An awareness campaign for the drug ice conceived by independent creative agency Lifelounge, has had a significant impact on 18-25 year-old Victorians, prompting those most at risk to take action after seeing the campaign.
Evaluation research conducted by EY Sweeney Research shows 51% of those who had been exposed to ice questioned their attitudes towards the drug after seeing the campaign, with 20% discussing the issue openly with family and friends.
The What are you doing on ice? campaign was developed with the support of experts from Victoria’s Department of Health and The Penington Institute, a leading authority on substance abuse.
The project was awarded to Lifelounge after a competitive pitch late last year. The agency has had great success reaching young Victorians over the past 10 years, most notably for its role in the TAC’s ‘Vanessa’ road safety program.
Two 60 second web films aimed to show young Victorians how addictive ice is, and how quickly it can affect their lives and the lives of those around them.
Says Dion Appel, CEO, Lifelounge: “We knew from experience to use a non-authoritative approach to engage this notoriously hard-to-reach demographic. Instead, we encouraged the audience to examine their own behavior.”
During the first month of the campaign, Self Help Addiction Resource Centre’s Family Drug Help service (information and referral service) reported a 30% increase in inquiries, and The Australian Drug Foundation’s DrugInfo service experiencing an almost six-fold increase in requests for information about ice. DirectLine (Turning Point’s 24/7 counseling hotline), received 1,156 enquiries throughout the campaign regarding amphetamines (including ice).
Other notable results:
– Throughout the campaign period, advertising awareness increased to 88% amongst those most at risk/those with previous personal exposure to ice.
– More than 6 in 10 of the key target demographic saw at least one component of the campaign across the print, television/cinema, outdoor and digital channels.
– The ice.vic.gov.au website received more than 90,000 visits, and 100 personal stories of addiction and recovery were shared on the site.
Visit the site: www.ice.vic.gov.au.
5 Comments
This looks like every anti-drug ad ever created in the history of the world.
Did they use a template?
This will not stop anyone taking ice. In fact after having wasted the last two minutes of my life watching these terrible terrible films I could use some. They are exactly what’s wrong with government advertising. Out of touch people making out of touch ads. What a waste of money.
I don’t know the people who made these ads, but I do know a bit about helping people with addiction problems and I can see why these would work.
Granted, they aren’t the sort of ad that would appeal to the audience on this blog.
In reality Ice use is much more common than most realise.
Initially, users believe they are totally in control. The sorts of things shown in these ads would be recognisable to those who are on the way to developing a serious problem.
They are the ones that advertising has a chance of helping. Before they become the type of psychotic monsters that would make a more exciting ad – before they have a full blown habit.
Look up the cycle of addiction. These ads (I assume) would be about shifting attitudes from pre-contemplative (what problem?) to contemplative (Hmm, maybe I do need a bit of help). They play a pretty straight bat which is not so exciting as an ad, but is much
harder for someone in denial to dismiss as alarmist exaggeration.
Perhaps you are the ones out of touch? Now about that ‘I could use some’ comment…
It’s about the stats. Research looks like it proves the government doing actually something is working. Hard to argue with numbers.
Nice to see something different to scabby faces and crazed meth heads. Much more relatable.