Think Before You Speak

The Ad Council's Think Before You Speak campaign meets the artistry standard of evaluation through the use of celebrity. If it was just unknown people in the ads, I probably wouldn't have paid that much attention to it; however, including celebrities makes me stop and really listen to what they're saying. The Ad Council has taken advantage of our culture's obsession with celebrity, using that as an effective way to get (and keep) people's attention. The ads are also teen-friendly, taking situations teenagers can relate to -- clothes shopping, going out to eat with friends -- and turning them into an opportunity to get across this important message. For the effects standard, I believe the ads should achieve their goal of getting teens to think before they speak. They will hopefully get teens to see themselves in these situations, realizing that they use the word "gay" incorrectly and then make a change. As far as the truth standard goes, the Ad Council wants teens to realize that "gay" has a specific meaning -- and that it doesn't mean "stupid" or "dumb." I think that point comes across very clearly in the ads. Finally, for the ethical standard, the ads help rather than harm. If successful, they could potentially help to eliminate the harassment of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender teens -- something the Ad Council points out as a serious problem in our schools.