Milwaukee's Shocking Ads

Residents of Milwaukee have seen these ads for some time, as the city continues to shock the public with PSA's using the most radical tactics possible. However, do these ads actually help the people living in the city think about these subjects, or instead do the ads only insult people, or make them generally uneasy?

I feel that the ads are great in terms of being shocking. When a person waits at a bus stop (which many of the ads are targeted at a younger, urban crowd who might be more likely to use buses) or driving down the interstate seeing one a billboard, they have to notice it. I think that in terms of getting the attention of the public, and certainly getting the busy of the public they are more than effective. However, I feel that the buzz is for all the wrong reasons, and that the ads really do little to help think about the topics at hand.

I know that studies suggest the ads help - however I'm not convinced. I've spent a good amount of time in downtown Milwaukee, and every time I see an ad like this with others, we aren't talking about how moms shouldn't sleep with their babies, or how pregnant teens need to be helped and reduced in Milwaukee. Instead, we're discussing how outrageous the ad is, and wondering how the city get's away using government money in order to publish them.

So I challenge those in Milwaukee - next time when you see an ad of this nature, ask yourself, do you even know what issue is the concern with the ad? And does the ad make you think about that topic any more than you were before. From my experience and observations, the target audience, young people, don't get anything out of them.