An ad on autism pulled

[Joesocwork 4]

I almost posted this as an update to my autism awareness thread until I realized the subject of deciding when to run and pull an ad was a potentially discussable topic itself.   My thoughts to come after I read some of yours.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/19/AR2007121902230.html

Child Study Center Cancels Autism Ads

Many People Found Campaign Offensive

 

 

By Robin Shulman

Washington Post Staff Writer

Thursday, December 20, 2007; Page A15

NEW YORK -- The words, in blocky typeface, read like a ransom note. "We have your son. We will make sure he will no longer be able to care for himself or interact socially as long as he lives. This is only the beginning."

The note is signed "Autism," and it is an advertisement, placed along with five other ransom notes -- dealing with bulimia, depression, Asperger syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder -- on billboards and kiosks in this city by the New York University Child Study Center, intending to urge parents to seek treatment for children with the disorders and spark a broader conversation. 

But Wednesday, the center withdrew its ads, after receiving thousands of calls and e-mails, many from people who said they found the notes offensive and hurtful, more likely to spread stigma and fear than to help.

"The problem is the debate was getting more and more focused on the ads, and not on the children who have disabilities," said Harold S. Koplewicz, the founder and director of the center, whose goals are to improve the treatment of child psychiatric disorders through scientific practice, research and education, and to eliminate the stigma surrounding them.

Opposition to the ads came from some of the very advocates who share the goals of the center, including adults who have psychiatric and neurological disorders. The Autistic Self Advocacy Network organized a campaign in the blogosphere, signed up more than 20 disability rights groups to their cause and collected more than 1,000 signatures on an Internet petition.

"These ads reflect some very old and damaging stereotypes about people with disabilities by suggesting that we are not entirely present and not fully within our own bodies," said Ari Ne'eman, president of the network, who has Asperger's.

The intention was never to spread stereotypes, Koplewicz said. Instead, he hoped to use a provocative metaphor -- that an untreated disability can hold a child hostage -- and make an impact. 

"There is a public health crisis in this country," he said. "There are 12 million children with psychiatric disorders. An overwhelming number go untreated. They're uninsured. It's under-researched."

The pro bono campaign by the agency BBDO launched in New York on Dec. 1, with ads on about 200 kiosks, Koplewicz said. The campaign was originally intended to spread to four other cities, including Washington, in coming months, he said.

Instead, Koplewicz plans to hold a virtual town hall discussion in January with some of those who opposed his campaign most vociferously and create a new campaign to be produced by BBDO early in the new year.

John Osborn, president and chief executive of BBDO New York, said the ransom notes were intended "to create awareness, to break through the clutter, and heighten the urgency of intervention and improve the lives of kid

[JanYpe 17]

Originally posted by: Joesocwork

Koplewicz said that when he and his colleagues first saw the campaign, "we had a visceral response to it, saying it was too strong, it might be too harsh." But then, he said, he saw reactions from focus groups made up of mothers, a third of whom had a child with one of the disorders. "The initial response was 'Oh, this is too harsh, this is too scary, it's frightening me,' " he said. "After 20 minutes, parents recognized that the facts were harsher than the ads."

quote>

This sounds like the most important part to me. The ad obviously did what it was supposed to, which is to grab people's attention with both hands. What's more important: awareness or image?

[Meg 368]

Originally posted by: Joesocwork

Instead, he hoped to use a provocative metaphor -- that an untreated disability can hold a child hostage -- and make an impact. quote>

Yes, it's a provocative metaphor but I'm not sure it's a good one.

One could argue that my dad is "held hostage" to the paralysis left by his severe stroke, that he is hostage to his wheelchair.  But what is the benefit of thinking like this?

It seems to me that "holding someone hostage" is playing on the fears in society.  These are medical issues, not terrorism issues.

[ILL Tonkso 1,236]

Pathetic anyway, its overblowing autism. I am autistic, and, well "no longer be able to care for himself or interact socially as long as he lives". I am capable of caring for myself, i DO have a good social life and im sorry but if I were a few years younger and heard this i would have lost all faith. I have worked hard to get myself here because people always told me it wont matter and things will improve. This ad to me is saying "Dont bother, you arent gonna have a life".

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Originally posted by: ILL Tonkso Pathetic anyway, its overblowing autism. I am autistic, and, well "no longer be able to care for himself or interact socially as long as he lives". I am capable of caring for myself, i DO have a good social life and im sorry but if I were a few years younger and heard this i would have lost all faith. I have worked hard to get myself here because people always told me it wont matter and things will improve. This ad to me is saying "Dont bother, you arent gonna have a life".quote>

An interesting reaction from one of our most valued members.  I tend to agree that such provocative "advertising" is rather extreme.  I agree that it give the wrong impression of autism.

[The boy formerly known as Evil Muzz 27]

Their intentions are in the right place, but unfortunately this ad campaign doesn't seem to have been very well thought through. As Tonkso said, how would it make the people who do have autism feel? Sometimes it feels like these things are advertised in a way that suggests the people with the condition in question are oblivious to the ads, and that we are "talking about them like they're not present". It makes the people with autism seem like a third party, watching this debate between the researchers and the public, when they should really be the focus of the whole thing.

Besides, Autism isn't really something that can be "treated", it's more something you learn to live with, it isn't curable, so while I agree with raising awareness of it, there isn't any need for advertising campaigns like this that send the public on a guilt trip, because there isn't really anything they can do about it...

[Meg 368]

Originally posted by: ILL Tonkso

Pathetic anyway, its overblowing autism. I am autistic, and, well "no longer be able to care for himself or interact socially as long as he lives". I am capable of caring for myself, i DO have a good social life and im sorry but if I were a few years younger and heard this i would have lost all faith. I have worked hard to get myself here because people always told me it wont matter and things will improve. This ad to me is saying "Dont bother, you arent gonna have a life".quote>

You raise an excellent point, Tonks.   If you had heard this, you would have lost all faith.  That alone is reason enough not to approach this issue this way.

I also think this campaign plays negatively into impressions that people like me have.  There is a huge difference between "autism" and what is now called "the autism spectrum".   People need to be educated about this difference and this hostage campaign doesn't help.

Like many Americans my age (those rowdy, yet undereducated baby boomers), I first heard of autism in the form of a fictional character named Tommy Westphall on the TV show St. Elsewhere.  It was a medical drama, about a hospital, and Tommy was the pre-teen son of one of the doctors. 

Tommy had autism;  He could not make eye contact or engage in meaningful verbal interaction.  He was obviously off in his own world somewhere.  He could barely manage to respond to basic instruction such as "Tommy, come sit over here."  It usually took a guiding hand on his shoulder to get him from point A to point B and he often "freaked out" at unexpected events.

Obviously, Tommy and Tonksie are on radically different points of the autism spectrum. 

To me, a major part of "autism awareness" is expanding the mindset of people like me who think of Tommy when they hear the word "autistic".  I know better and I still had a "No, you're not" reaction when I read Tonks's post saying he was autistic.  I can believe he has asperger syndrome; I have learned a lot about that during my time here.   But I can't believe he is autistic in the same way that Tommy Westphall was autistic.    I don't see a way that someone like Tommy could grow up to function like someone like Tonks.

Originally posted by: The boy formerly known as Evil Muzz

Besides, Autism isn't really something that can be "treated", it's more something you learn to live with, it isn't curable . . . quote>

It isn't curable but I believe that, to some degree, it can be treated.   It's one of those things where early invention can make a difference.

. . .so while I agree with raising awareness of it, there isn't any need for advertising campaigns like this that send the public on a guilt trip, because there isn't really anything they can do about it...quote>

I agree there is no point in a guilt trip.  But I also think that public education is worthwhile.  I would be doing all of the people with asperger syndrome an injustice if I assumed that they were as functional as Tommy Westphall.

[Duke87 1,070]

Well, here's the thing. Sure, if you or a relative are living with one or more of those awareness and removal of stigma is obviously going to be a big issue for you. And thinking of the disease like a hostage taker is an interesting way of making a comparison to something people better understand. A disease "holding someone hostage" is certainly possible, but it's not always the case, as people can learn to live with it given help (and even sometimes on their own). Those people aren't really "hostages" of any sort.

The ads do draw an unfair comparison- however, it's not not so much unfair to disease victims and their families as it is unfair to hostage victims and their families. I mean, if your son had actually been taken hostage by criminals demanding a ransom at some point, how would you feel about ads like these? You'd probably find them quite offensive and insulting. It is, after all, hardly the same thing- even if it is only meant to be an analogy.

And that's why you need to be careful with making comparisons like that- how will the people you're comparing your subject to feel about being compared to your subject?

[Joesocwork 4]

I think they were "missionaries" who were out to convert the already converted and ended up being too clever for their own good. While there is a need for public awareness for bulimia, depression, Asperger syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, etc. most individuals and families I know who face this, and who are not in denial, already are their own experts on what they face. They should have been more upfront and say "Our center wants to help, pls support our center."

[Duke87 1,070]

^^^Yeah, but see, that's too common. They needed something different to make them stand out and grab attention to them and away from every other charity that says that. Of course, they ventured into risky territory- if you play with Nitroglycerin, it might blow up in your face.

Though, I suppose there's always the "there's no such thing as bad publicity" argument....

...also, I fail to see how this is an attempt at converting the already converted. These ads were in public places, right? Doesn't that mean that all kinds of people see them?

[ruennsheng 0]

I don't think so...

[Joesocwork 4]

Originally posted by: Duke87

...also, I fail to see how this is an attempt at converting the already converted. These ads were in public places, right? Doesn't that mean that all kinds of people see them?quote>

 

Because the ad was phrased as if people who read it already knew the condition existed w/in the family.   The implication of the feeling of being held hostage is an old feeling that many of us fight all the time anyway.   The ad might be different, and here's how I think it could've been more effective, if it suggested that these were hidden symptoms that people were now being alerted to looking for the first time.  That's exactly the marketing ploy that works for the pharmaceuticals use for their wares.  The annoyance is that it appears they create problems for their products to solve. RLS= Restless Less Syndrome??  Puh-leeze.  But it works.  Like these ads, the ad of this subject could suggest the tell-tale signs to look for first before claiming doom that they can save us from.

[jeronij 13]

"We have your son. We will make sure he will no longer be able to care for himself or interact socially as long as he lives. This is only the beginning." - I think the message is clear and I cant find it offensive at all. The problem is that Autism is a relatively unknown situation for most of the people, and people dislikes and fears what is unknows for them. Also, as josecwork pointed, it is not the same Autism or Autistic Spectrum. The message does not specifically mention who is it referring to. I understand the message is directed to those severe autistic persons, those who really wont be able to take care of themselves or interact socially never. I think here is where it fails to transmit the information. Those who are not in that situation feel named and offended, when they really shouldnt. They are fortunate to be able to have a relative normal life. Just my 2 cents.