Post #3: Shock Value

The images above should not be new to Milwaukee residents. They adorn many of the city's bus stops, billboards, and street publications.

The campaign, which the City of Milwaukee Health Department rolled out in late 2011, aims to reverse a horrifying trend in the city: infant mortality rates that rival those of the world's poorest nations (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 2011). Milwaukee's infant mortality rate for 2011 was 10.2 deaths per 1,000 live births, among the worst in the country.

One cause of SIDS (spontaneous infant death syndrome) is unsafe sleep. Children, especially those in the earliest stages of infancy, who sleep in the same bed as their parents or older siblings are vulnerable to being crushed or suffocated to death. The Milwaukee Health Department decided to target co-sleeping with its advertisements because it is, as mayor and gubernatorial hopeful Tom Barrett noted, "so preventable".

Within a few months of its launch, the campaign received national media attention. ABC News, the Huffington Post, CNN, Yahoo! News, and many more news agencies brought the Health Department's message to cities across the country. Understandably, many Americans were upset. Mothers around the country protested the demonization of a practice which was, in their minds, a legitimate and necessary part of raising a child.

Regardless of your opinion of the ads' content, it would be very difficult to say that the campaign was unsuccessful. Every mother and father in Milwaukee who saw the ads walked away with an unforgettable, terrifying image burned into their consciousness. The campaign certainly reached its target audience, and millions of mothers outside that narrow target, when national media outlets began to discuss it.

The oft-repeated cliche, "A picture speaks 1,000 words" is especially pertinent to PSA advertising. The harsh images above effectively convey both the message of the campaign and the gravity of the infant mortality crisis in this city.

Such advertising must be used very carefully, however. A continued pattern of harsh, graphic advertisements could eventually desensitize the audience, rendering future campaigns less effective.

Do you think this campaign will lower the infant mortality rate in Milwaukee? If not, what would you do differently? Comment below.



Additional Media (for those who are interested):

• Milwaukee Admirals "Safe Sleep" TV Ad [VIDEO]
• West Virginia Safe Sleep PSA [VIDEO]
• American Academy of Pediatrics Safe Sleep Guidelines
• Infant Mortality Rates By Country-CIA World Factbook
• The Washington Post Examines Both Sides of the Controversy