As we pointed out, much of the messaging on the Good to Know Colorado website was more about what is and isn't legal than it was about health.
The same can be said about public-service announcement that will begin rolling out on Colorado stations today and is on view below. However, the tone is much different, since the rules and regs at the heart of the campaign are rendered in sing-songy rhyme that emulates Dr. Seuss and is accompanied by similarly kid-friendly illustrations.
The initial images were mainly about where marijuana can and can't be used, in addition to its dangers. Here's one example....
...and another....
...and one more:
The same ideas are at play in the PSA, but a gentle-voiced narrator delivers them as if he's reading a bedtime story. Here's one unintentionally hilarious passage:
If you choose to use, don't drive highAnother warns those who smoke that "public space, federal land and your car aren't the place."
Instead, just walk or skip or catch a ride
You can even frolic or stroll or run
Just remember, you've gotta be 21....
Where should smokers go? Here's that section:
Stay at homeThe tenor of the ad isn't wholly negative, as in the old your-brain-on-drugs days. But is the spot also condescending, patronizing and a prelude to tween-age and teenage eye-rolling? We'll know soon enough. A CDPHE release notes that the ads will start running today. Meanwhile, Good to Know Colorado is already being portrayed as a success. The department notes:
Keep it locked under a bed
And most importantly, keep it out of reach of the kids
For those underage, it's just not okay
Their brains are still growing, so keep it away
The campaign has generated 35 million impressions through radio, print, and digital advertising. This resulted in 220 news stories, 41,500 visits to GoodToKnowColorado.com and engaged more than 7,000 social media users. Good to Know television ads, running through March 22, continue the neighborly approach aimed at educating users and nonusers alike.Look below to see the ad:
Post by Good To Know.
Send your story tips to the author, Michael Roberts.
