Wasteful government advertising
Wasteful government advertising
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Discussion

JagLover

Original Poster:

46,420 posts

261 months

Tuesday 16th March 2010
quotequote all
I have quite a bit of free time at the moment (between jobs at present, next one starting 1 May) and it seems that virtually every time I turn on the TV I see a government advert. Now I can understand the government warning about serious health issues, but climate change?

The most frivolous of all, and the most common these last few weeks, is a series of adverts telling teenage girls they don't have to put out if they don't want too, or put up with jerks as boyfriends. A worthy message I'm sure but is it really the business of government to be spending tens of millions of pounds on a TV advertising campaign on the subject?

Bing o

15,184 posts

245 months

Tuesday 16th March 2010
quotequote all
JagLover said:
I have quite a bit of free time at the moment (between jobs at present, next one starting 1 May) and it seems that virtually every time I turn on the TV I see a government advert. Now I can understand the government warning about serious health issues, but climate change?

The most frivolous of all, and the most common these last few weeks, is a series of adverts telling teenage girls they don't have to put out if they don't want too, or put up with jerks as boyfriends. A worthy message I'm sure but is it really the business of government to be spending tens of millions of pounds on a TV advertising campaign on the subject?
Anyone would think that there was an election coming...

chris watton

22,547 posts

286 months

Tuesday 16th March 2010
quotequote all
..And this is exactly why the media is skewed in favour of Labour - it keeps them in lucrative employment, thanks to our taxes.
The Tories have made it very clear on numerous occasions that they will slash the government advertising budget (which would also put the Guardian in financial peril....) - so with this in mind, it isn't surprising that we seem to get to see and hear more of Labour than anyone else.

Edited by chris watton on Tuesday 16th March 08:56

grumbledoak

32,459 posts

259 months

Tuesday 16th March 2010
quotequote all
It's partly their ghastly social engineering instincts. And, mostly, keeping sections of the media on-side (i.e. bribing them). It's quite sickening how little respect our government has for democracy, or the population in general.

jobswill

24 posts

196 months

Tuesday 16th March 2010
quotequote all
Yes it seems we pay for the bbc, and then we have to pay for ITV et al with this pathetic drivel as well nowadays, as well as having to endure our own ads!

mouseymousey

2,642 posts

263 months

Tuesday 16th March 2010
quotequote all
The one annoying me most at the moment is a ad telling people they need a provisional licence to learn to drive.

mattviatura

2,996 posts

226 months

Tuesday 16th March 2010
quotequote all
Someone mentioned the Guardian but it's not just the Guardian. There are Government adverts all over the print and broadcast media and the internet.

It's not uncommon to hear two 'messages' per ad break on commercial radio.

Personally I'd like to see billboards of our great leader around the country, maybe striking a series of heroic poses - on a white charger, in army uniform etc.

Twats.

vetteheadracer

8,273 posts

279 months

Tuesday 16th March 2010
quotequote all
I was thinking exactly the same thing only the other day.

Speed Kills adverts with the dead redhead boy, sexually transmitted disease ads, get your tax return in on time ads, climate change ads.....all a complete waste of money and typical of this governments preaching attitude.......

I have an "advertising slogan" idea for the Government......"DON'T SPEND MONEY YOU HAVEN'T GOT!!!!"

or "DON'T WASTE MONEY TELLING ME STUFF I DON'T NEED TO KNOW OR CARE ABOUT"


fathomfive

11,126 posts

216 months

Tuesday 16th March 2010
quotequote all
Don't forget the adverts for the Police too - the Policing Charter is it?

Why do we need adverts for this bks?

clonmult

10,529 posts

235 months

Tuesday 16th March 2010
quotequote all
mouseymousey said:
The one annoying me most at the moment is a ad telling people they need a provisional licence to learn to drive.
Thank fk I've missed that one.

Most of these are utterly useless, telling people what they should already know. Those that don't know are Darwin awards wannabees.

CoolC

4,472 posts

240 months

Tuesday 16th March 2010
quotequote all
I don't remember which channel it was but the other evening I was watching TV and one advery break was full (all but 1) of government ads. Stop smoking, Police Charter, bad boyfriend, bog roll, another stop smoking ad etc.

Mclovin

1,679 posts

224 months

Tuesday 16th March 2010
quotequote all
check the radio too, some stations one ad for every private one....

The Black Flash

13,735 posts

224 months

Tuesday 16th March 2010
quotequote all
Yup, definately got worse of late.
<fluffnik>Rip it all down and start again</fluffnik>

Asterix

24,438 posts

254 months

Tuesday 16th March 2010
quotequote all
chris watton said:
..And this is exactly why the media is skewed in favour of Labour - it keeps them in lucrative employment, thanks to our taxes.
The Tories have made it very clear on numerous occasions that they will slash the government advertising budget (which would also put the Guardian in financial peril....) - so with this in mind, it isn't surprising that we seem to get to see and hear more of Labour than anyone else.

Edited by chris watton on Tuesday 16th March 08:56
I think it would be the sits vacs section that will lose out the most (mainly to the Mail and Telegraph!).

paddyhasneeds

65,365 posts

236 months

Tuesday 16th March 2010
quotequote all
JagLover said:
I have quite a bit of free time at the moment (between jobs at present
You should be spending your time keeping an eye on your neighbours.. they could be terrorists according to the radio...

chris watton

22,547 posts

286 months

Tuesday 16th March 2010
quotequote all
Asterix said:
chris watton said:
..And this is exactly why the media is skewed in favour of Labour - it keeps them in lucrative employment, thanks to our taxes.
The Tories have made it very clear on numerous occasions that they will slash the government advertising budget (which would also put the Guardian in financial peril....) - so with this in mind, it isn't surprising that we seem to get to see and hear more of Labour than anyone else.

Edited by chris watton on Tuesday 16th March 08:56
I think it would be the sits vacs section that will lose out the most (mainly to the Mail and Telegraph!).
Yes, that's what I read, as the Tories plan to advertise for public sector jobs online, rather than the papers - especially the Guardian

cqueen

2,639 posts

246 months

Tuesday 16th March 2010
quotequote all
mouseymousey said:
The one annoying me most at the moment is a ad telling people they need a provisional licence to learn to drive.
Yup heard this one on the radio. What a load of guff.

StevieBee

15,063 posts

281 months

Tuesday 16th March 2010
quotequote all
The government spends around £240m a year on advertising – by far the largest advertiser in the UK. Most of this is managed through the COI (Central Office of Information), which spends a further £200m, or so on other forms of communications.

The COI is managed independently of party politics and is monitored to ensure that it achieves a return on investment.

Take the issue of the current teenage pregnancy awareness campaign, This is an issue that costs the NHS (or us as taxpayers), £63m a year. So, if a £5m campaign can be deployed and cut pregnancies by as little as 10%, then that’s £1.3m saved and money well spent.

Of course, whether it does so or not is another matter but the commentary here and elsewhere is likely to be as vociferous – if not more so – if nothing is done.

On a campaign-by-campaign basis, some are more worthy and better than others. Some are a complete waste of time but overall, the COI do tend to deliver significant more savings than they spend.


mattviatura

2,996 posts

226 months

Wednesday 17th March 2010
quotequote all
There was one this morning advising me to move out of the way of ambulances.

Is that why they flash the pretty blue lights and make a load of noise then?

mattviatura

2,996 posts

226 months

Wednesday 17th March 2010
quotequote all
I've just had the thought of linking directGUV to a website but HM Government has already registered it, they must have huge confidence in their education policies.

Edited by mattviatura on Wednesday 17th March 10:22