[Universal Credit]

I'd rather it show how the life of the sufferer is devastated and accurately show verbal bullying or high/low expectations can make it worse whilst supportive activity can bring out the actual talents of people with this kind of condition? A public introduction to the stress vulnerability model needs both sides to be clearly stated I would have thought? The ad assumed a low stress office environment from the start but can this be assumed as a given in todays trainwreck economy? And what is with the lighting for this ad? Could have given them a couple of 60W bulbs if I'd known they'd only had 40W.

Also people are at work to do a task not as a therapy. What kind of message does this ad send to prospective employees? That the only things he'll be doing is inner-reflection and having delusionary thoughts of being a rock star - a thousand miles from the task at hand? Would have helped to have more context and show him getting on with some work proficiently given the large numbers of us with the condition who haven't got a job to go back to?

[BipolarJ]

ghost, on 25 March 2011 - 02:39 PM, said:

I was just walking down the beach, ranting to myself, having a full blown discussion, gesturing and all sorts. I turned to my right and there was 4 golfers just staring at me, so embarrassing.

Hmm, but let's think about what may lie behind those four golfers.

For all we know...

Golfer 1 may be a wife beater.

Golfer 2 may be claiming benefits as being 'unfit for work' or fiddling his tax.

Golfer 3 could be on cocaine.

Golfer 4 might be someone who's cruel to animals.

The point I'm trying to make is, those golfers are no better than you. Just because they happened to be participating in a socially acceptable sport at the time, doesn't mean they never do anything that could be considered weird or unpleasant. After all, imagine how much money they've spent on those golf clubs, when they could've bought food with it.

Now... that makes it seem different, I'd imagine

Spartikus Rex, on 21 January 2012 - 05:23 PM, said:

Also people are at work to do a task not as a therapy. What kind of message does this ad send to prospective employees? That the only things he'll be doing is inner-reflection and having delusionary thoughts of being a rock star - a thousand miles from the task at hand? Would have helped to have more context and show him getting on with some work proficiently given the large numbers of us with the condition who haven't got a job to go back to?

A good point; one that I hadn't considered.

Just another way it casts a bad light over people with mental health issues.

I have already lodged my complaint with the Advertising Standards Authority, but had I not, then I would've included that too.

[itsmeagain]

I think the advert is poor to say the least.And anything that shows so called madness in an amusing light to john public, is gonna be laughed at by morons.Advert is poor.

[butterflylion]

Showing what MI is really like isnt PC enough.... I have very mixed views about the advert itself... part of me was like 'Oh good finally something acknowledging mental illness' yet another part of me was like 'woooooo wtf was that??' I would hate to be put in that position... For me my mental illness is MY business....and if i HAVE to tell my employer i would be exceedingly angry to find it had worked its way around the workplace!!!.....

For me it has similararities to the Stonewall campaign "some people are gay get over it" ...Im all for awareness raising but shoving it in peoples faces isnt going to help anyone.... its more likely to create resentment...

Does that make sense?

[BipolarJ]

I'm quite surprised how many people dislike this advert. I thought I would get shot down when I complained about it, but it seems not.

For anyone who is interested further, the Advertising Standards Authority has confirmed that it has received 'a small number of complaints' about the advert.

Ttheir reply to me continues:

"The complainants objected that the ad was offensive and depicted negative and unsympathetic stereotypes of those with mental health conditions. Some were concerned that it might put people off returning to work after being absent due to a mental illness. Others felt it made light of mental illness and implied it was an amusing subject that could be laughed at.

Council considered the ad and the issues raised and concluded that there were sufficient grounds for further ASA intervention."

It also states that they don't take action where adverts are simply 'in poor taste', as this is basically a personal thing, but only if they are likely to go against general moral standards or cause 'widespread' offence.

They continue:

"In this case, we didn’t think the advertising was likely to have those effects because although we recognised that the ad highlighted a sensitive topic and acknowledged that those who had been ill themselves, or knew people who had, might find the ad distasteful, we considered that most viewers would interpret the ad as saying that you shouldn't worry about how people might react if you ask them questions.

Whilst the ad did depict negative stereotypes of mental health conditions, it made clear that they were not realistic and showed that Dave was just a normal person returning to work after a period of absence. Most viewers were likely to view the ad as attempting to dispel the myths surrounding mental illness and break down any fears people might have about interacting with people who they knew had suffered such conditions. Council concluded that the ad was unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence or be seen as condoning negative attitudes towards those with mental health conditions."

Their response finishes off by saying that they have made the advertiser aware of the concerns surrounding the advert.

So, the advert will not be withdrawn unless the advertiser chooses to, but thankfully they have been made aware now through 'official' channels that there is a bit of a problem with it.

[Universal Credit]

Most viewers were likely to view the ad as attempting to dispel the myths surrounding mental illness and break down any fears people might have about interacting with people who they knew had suffered such conditions.

Assumption based on the wind. The myths are powerful and constantly reinforced by the media, reinforcement that might well get worse now they have been told to lay of the politicans. Most of the viewing public don't even know the myths are myths, but see everyone with a significant diagnosis as a hatchet-man in waiting.

[BipolarJ]

I must admit, I did disagree that 'most people are likely to view the ad as attempting to dispel the myths' - some no doubt will realise its intention, but I fear a great many will just see it as a joke.

[toffee]

'Work is not therapy'

Excellent point!

Sometimes I feel that things dispelling myths actually give people more stuff to beat you over the head with. I remember going to some equality and diversity thing and finding out all these ways I could insult people that I would never have come up with on my own. (not that I ever used them - but if I wasn't very nice I could have).
I've got mixed views about the ad. I think it is very likely to be minimicked by school kids taking the piss but on the other hand it might get the message through to adults.

[itsmeagain]

butterflylion, on 24 January 2012 - 08:52 PM, said:

Showing what MI is really like isnt PC enough.... I have very mixed views about the advert itself... part of me was like 'Oh good finally something acknowledging mental illness' yet another part of me was like 'woooooo wtf was that??' I would hate to be put in that position... For me my mental illness is MY business....and if i HAVE to tell my employer i would be exceedingly angry to find it had worked its way around the workplace!!!.....

For me it has similararities to the Stonewall campaign "some people are gay get over it" ...Im all for awareness raising but shoving it in peoples faces isnt going to help anyone.... its more likely to create resentment...

Does that make sense?

I am not sure i agree butterfly.
It is not too in your face, it is just a cheap attempt , done on the cheap, to raise awareness.Awareness needs to be raised at home, and at school, real education instead of cheap itv publicity stunts.

[itsmeagain]

Spartikus Rex, on 25 January 2012 - 12:02 PM, said:

Most viewers were likely to view the ad as attempting to dispel the myths surrounding mental illness and break down any fears people might have about interacting with people who they knew had suffered such conditions.

Assumption based on the wind. The myths are powerful and constantly reinforced by the media, reinforcement that might well get worse now they have been told to lay of the politicans. Most of the viewing public don't even know the myths are myths, but see everyone with a significant diagnosis as a hatchet-man in waiting.

Oddly, the system itself has engaged in many many notable f.ck ups, eg the Christopher Clunis case where a man in need was allowed to go free he then killed someone.And how did that woman in Bexleyheath get out, she then killed a woman in the street?
System misses real axemen where they do exist.

[Universal Credit]

itsmeagain, on 29 January 2012 - 09:21 AM, said:

Oddly, the system itself has engaged in many many notable f.ck ups, eg the Christopher Clunis case where a man in need was allowed to go free he then killed someone.And how did that woman in Bexleyheath get out, she then killed a woman in the street?
System misses real axemen where they do exist.

Yes. It is very odd. Service users are more at risk than they are a risk by a factor of six times, outside of dual diagnosis, and it is odd that in this context the small minority of real axe-men somehow get missed time and time again.

[CaptSpaceBat]

BipolarJ, on 25 January 2012 - 01:50 PM, said:

I must admit, I did disagree that 'most people are likely to view the ad as attempting to dispel the myths' - some no doubt will realise its intention, but I fear a great many will just see it as a joke.

Everyone I know outside of the MH field - who has mentioned it - had a more positive view of this ad and its intended message. In that respect, it does seem to be working.

[Universal Credit]

CaptSpaceBat, on 29 January 2012 - 10:52 AM, said:

Everyone I know outside of the MH field - who has mentioned it - had a more positive view of this ad and its intended message. In that respect, it does seem to be working.

Transductive reasoning. The people you know will be people who share your values.

[CaptSpaceBat]

Spartikus Rex, on 29 January 2012 - 11:16 AM, said:

Transductive reasoning. The people you know will be people who share your values.

Simple stimulus-response, perhaps; but that is my notion of the basis of advertising.

[Universal Credit]

CaptSpaceBat, on 29 January 2012 - 12:14 PM, said:

Simple stimulus-response, perhaps; but that is my notion of the basis of advertising.

Seems to work going on the scale of private debt in this country and elsewhere?

[CaptSpaceBat]

In as far as convincing people to part with hard-earned money or firmly-held opinions, then it would seem to be the case.

[Universal Credit]

CaptSpaceBat, on 29 January 2012 - 01:28 PM, said:

In as far as convincing people to part with hard-earned money or firmly-held opinions, then it would seem to be the case.

I'm not sure about opinions, these are a long term investment afterall. It appears laws and the consequences of breaking them molds opinions. A nudge with a strongly held opinion nine times in ten backfires with a thump in return.

[firemonkey]

http://www.huffingto..._b_1243284.html

[Universal Credit]

As someone noted in the comments the characters are not believable­ and I would add the situation is not believable either. Most people with serious mental ill health are not returning to the work place but are coming to the workplace for the first time. Can you imagine a workplace keeping someone on after a relapse except in rare cases where there is nepotism and someone in the family running a business? Or any profitable workplace being as calm and stress free as that one appeared to be?

[Able Scribe]

[/media]

How we got talking at the Champions' Crafts Fest!




And the discussion...

This post has been edited by Able Scribe: 08 November 2012 - 02:33 PM