Anti-drug Chinese ad ends up 'seducing' people into doing drugs - 'I want to try a few bites'
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Anti-drug Chinese ad ends up 'seducing' people into doing drugs - 'I want to try a few bites'")
China anti-drug ad ended up making them appear beneficial, after which it was removed. Photograph: (X)
A Chinese ad intended to scare people away from doing drugs ended up becoming a promotional video for substance use. With beautiful girls listing the benefits of drugs while singing on stage, the ad did more harm than good.
China released an AI-generated ad to tell youth about the dangers of taking drugs. However, the gleaming video ended up making drug use look cool, after which it was pulled. The Hong Kong Correctional Services Department (CSD) released the ad on the occasion of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. It shows a music group called Obsession singing about the multiple ways drugs can help. The four members of the group represent a different substance. The one representing crystal meth says, "I’m Icy! Take a snort from me." The member called Coke says, “Cocaine goes down easily and beats the heat. It energises and keeps you clear-headed. Super dope!"
Sick old men and crawling bugs
Weedy (for cannabis) and Little E (etomidate, known colloquially as space oil) are the other two members in the band. They also list the benefits of the drugs. As they continue to sing on stage, they turn into old men who appear shrivelled and sick, depicting that drugs are bad for you. The next shot shows an AI video of drugs and bottles all over the place, with bugs appearing to be a mix of cockroaches and scorpions crawling around. The four men are seen in a prison in a black-and-white visual, smiling like mental patients.
People complained that it made drugs appear fun
The words “Drugs are extremely harmful and can ruin a life” appear below. The ad starts off in an extremely colourful and fashionable manner with the girls dressed in bright clothes looking pretty. It does not help that it lists the benefits of each drug. The actual message of drugs being bad for you comes much later. People filed online complaints against the ad, saying it made drugs look attractive and was actually seducing viewers into doing drugs. This led the Hong Kong CSD to remove the video.
The agency later released another AI video which had a bold voice apparently saying, "Whether you take or sell drugs, you won’t go to jail." Hong Kong CSD removed the second video on June 27 and apologised. Reacting to the ad, one person on social media said, "After watching it, I want to try a few bites of each."
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