Okay that got your attention and why wouldn't it?
This week I'm looking at the new advert that brings up the awareness on rape. I'm sure you remember the one with Charlise Theron and how well that ad became known with it getting banned and then unbanned by the ASA. However this time it's with the soccer star Doctor Khumalo who helps putting the message through.
The advert is supposed to be hard-hitting and "in your face", but, I'm not happy with it. Now I'm not going against it because I'm a man or anything (just in case any decide to throw up their arms at my comment I made), unfortunately in this country a rapist doesn't get the punishment he/she (yes she as well) deserves but I'm not here to comment about the system, only the advert.
The advert just isn't going to work, I mean, just imagine putting yourself in the shoes of a rapist. Yes... you have to in order to get a perspective from their side on what the ad looks like. The first thing that will be said by him/her is "So what?". And that is what they should play with to find a great campaign in creating awareness about rape.
From what I make of the advert is that it aims at those that have already done a rape seeing that it asks
questions on whether they have ever carried on after she has said no and so on. It should aim at those who have even just thought of it as well as those who have done it and if possible create a feeling of guiltiness in that parties mind. Unless you create an emotion of some sort... it's pointless. You've got to make a dent of some sort.
Now I know that the advert was done for free and it was peoples' costly time being used (and I recognise that, thank you) but government should be forced to pay the price for a campaign against rape and a budget that is not a few thousand rand but a few million.
If I had to run a campaign against rape I would do it through various mediums using direct mail as the start of it then lead to TV as TV is a medium that talks to the masses and you can only aim to a certain degree and taking out LSM's it comes down
to those with TV (duh). The direct mail message would be sent to certain targets that have come out of research that would've taken place long before the start and it would contain a message that would be hard hitting and to the point making anyone that has thought of rape or that has done it feel something, preferrably scared! It's time to use the media to turn the table around and make the doers scared and give the victims the power. The campaign would then have print ads targeted and magazines, papers and even billboard then finally the TV.
Only then will there be a big response against rape and not just talk about the advert on TV.
While you have read this review an average of 6 women have been raped already in our country... do something and stop it.
Please participate in the discussion forum below and tell us what you think of the advert and any ideas you have to help fight rape through the media... after all, media is powerful.
(This week there is no rating out of 10 about this ad as there isn't any competition ads, thank goodness)
