Introduction
Anti-drug campaigns, such as the well-known “Just Say No” campaign, were in full swing during the 1980s. In the cartoon clip, Michael Jackson’s anti-drug song is one of the most well-known “Just Say No” campaigns. The first involves famous rock stars and children working together to combat the adverse effects of drugs. In the latter, the group sings a song that discourages drug use. This essay will discuss the psychological constructs in the “This is Your Brain on Drugs” commercial, which used health behavior theories to target teenagers, the Michael Jackson cartoon clip, and the Flintstones’ campaign.
Campaign Using “Flintstone Kids and Michael Jackson Cartoon Clip”
The “Just Say No” campaign featuring the Flintstones and Michael Jackson uses the psychological concepts of fear, reward, self-efficacy, and subjective norms to appeal to kids and teenagers. First, the cartoon uses fear-based messaging to exhort kids and teenagers to abstain from drug use. Another tactic used to emphasize the negative effects of drug use on children and teenagers is using celebrity figures such as Fred Flintstone, Michael Jackson, and Jay Leno (Serene, 2011). The intended audience is made fearful of the repercussions of drug use by this, which motivates them to abstain from illegal substances.
The campaign uses rewards-based messaging in addition to fear-based messaging. This aspect of the campaign highlights how crucial it is to abstain from drugs for one’s benefit. It further boosts the confidence of the target audience and instills in them the importance of abstaining from drugs and other risky behavior. Finally, the campaign encourages kids and teenagers to say no by relying on arbitrary norms (Serene, 2011). Cartoon encourages audience to imitate famous people while communicating adult disapproval of behavior.
Health Behavior Theories Targeted in “This is Your Brain on Drugs”
In order to reach teenagers, the “This is Your Brain on Drugs” clip makes use of a variety of health behavior theories. The video employs an implicit threat of harm strategy, implying that using drugs could jeopardize one’s mental health. This commercial clip also uses the fear appeal theory to achieve anti-drug goals (Ruiter et al., 2014). The commercial’s rational-emotive persuasion strategy appeals to the audience’s logical and reasoning abilities to demonstrate how drug use can be harmful (Egallity, 2009). The clip also uses the health belief model because it emphasizes the importance of behavioral modification to reduce the risk of related health issues.
The “This is Your Brain on Drugs” video is aimed at adolescents and adults in their lives. The clip incorporates the health promotion model’s sociocultural, environmental, and personal factors. This investigates the individual elements contributing to drug abuse and how they should be addressed to combat it (Egallity, 2009). Additionally, the commercial stresses the significance of subjective norms—perceived social influence—in supporting healthy behavior in adolescents. The importance of adults setting a good example for the next generation by abstaining from substance abuse and other risky behaviors is emphasized.
Effectiveness of the Ads
The overall message that drug use is harmful and should be avoided is effectively communicated by the “Flintstones Kids’ and Michael Jackson cartoon clip” campaign and the “This is Your Brain on Drugs” commercial. The first campaign’s fear-based messaging, fear appeal theory, and health belief model in the last campaigns resonate with their target audience and make them aware that their actions might have serious, long-term repercussions (Egallity, 2009). The campaign also stresses the value of drug abstinence by using reward-based messaging, self-efficacy, and subjective norms.
Conclusion
In conclusion, these components work together to convey a strong message about the dangers of drug use and how they should be avoided. Since these campaigns have been running for years, their novelty to a modern audience may have diminished over time, decreasing their effectiveness. The campaign is important in promoting healthy habits and discouraging teen drug abuse, so they are still relevant and necessary.
References
Egallity. (2009). ‘80s Anti-Drug Commercial – Your Brain On Drugs [Video]. YouTube. Web.
Ruiter, R. A. C., Kessels, L. T. E., Peters, G.-J. Y., & Kok, G. (2014). Sixty years of fear appeal research: Current state of the evidence. International Journal of Psychology, 49(2), 63–70. Web.
Serene, C. (2011). Michael Jackson and the Flintstone Kids (‘Just Say No’-campaign) [Video]. YouTube. Web.