I had been watching one of my favorite shows, Desperate Housewives, and an Above the Influence commercial came on. If you have never seen one of these commercials, they are rather intriguing. The situation has been presented where a teen is faced with the choice of being under the influence, is under the influence or has been under the influence and the commercial makes light of how stupid their decision was or will be if they choose substance abuse. The commercial series has also created Above the Influence commercials where teens are above the influence and proud of their decision. The ads contain very strong images or messages that pertain to the teenager choosing the extremely wrong choice of being under the influence and what they can or lost because of their decision, as well as teens who are proud of their decisions to be above the influence and how they have succeeded because of it.
When I first saw these commercials years back I thought they were the coolest things I had ever seen. The way they are created and the strong message that they sent made me really think about all of those that choose to be under the influence. Throughout my life I have never thought about or even considered taking substances that would harm my body emotionally and physically, but if I had these commercials would definitely have made me think a little harder about whether or not I was making the right choice. The commercial often is created with “hook” where you want to keep watching it because it is so raw. Below is the “Lost” commercial that has been most recently aired. It is about a boy who has lost himself due to substance abuse. Watch for the creative way they send the viewer the message that being under the influence is not okay.
Since our unit of subliminal messages I find myself looking at every ad, commercial, television show, print ad and any type of advertising in media or radio through an entirely different light. When I saw these Above the Influence commercials I was reminded at how subliminal messages are not always a bad thing. I find these commercials to contain subliminal messages but address them in an entirely different light. The commercials send messages through the images they create and through the teens who are marketing their message of sobriety. I love the fact that the Above the Influence organization has taken subliminal messaging and transformed its purpose into a positive way to market their message. I realized I had become accustomed to the sex appeal and false messages that numerous, if not all, companies try to use to sell their products that I had forgotten sometimes a subliminal message that is not always so “hidden” can be just as powerful as one that is. So, to answer my blog question, “Above the Influence Commercials: A Subliminal Message or Drug Prevention Tactic?” allows me to say it is a little, and a lot, of both. I will forever be an advocate of the company and really support how they market their products.
Next time you are watching a television show and one of these commercials comes on you should take the time to really explore the message that this company is trying to “sell.” It is much more powerful than you may think. You can also click on the link below to visit their website!
Blessings,
Tiffany
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