Campaign innovation in the public’s interest

Consider this: it is a sunny summer day and you are enjoying a swim in the pool when you are startled out of your senses at the sight of a drowned boy at the bottom of the pool. It takes you a few seconds to realize that it is actually only a perfect high-resolution 3D image with the question: “Where is your child?” This was actually part of a campaign entitled “Watch Around Water” aimed at promoting and encouraging proper supervision of children while in and around water. Regardless of whether or not one agrees with this attention- grabbing approach, also called “shockvertising,” many argue that the use of such disturbing images and blunt slogans is necessary to break through the media clutter in order to raise awareness and stimulate action on a public interest cause. The fact is, eliciting shock remains only one approach for what is called public