NEW YORK, February 13, 2006 – The latest campaign from the Partnership for a Drug-Free America stresses the importance of parents setting clear expectations to prevent their teens from using marijuana. Created by Grey Worldwide,

One spot is called "Mom."

the new campaign consists of three television spots, three radio commercials and three print ads that communicate the influence parents have on the their teens’ decisions. Breaking today, the campaign will run in national media as part of the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, an effort coordinated by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).

The parent-targeted campaign will run through mid-May.  Two of the TV spots, “How Will They Know,” one featuring a mom and one featuring a dad, communicate that the solid expectations parents set about not using drugs are just as important as other expectations they have for their teens. 

In the spot “Mom”, a girl leaves her home and shouts goodbye to her mother as she shuts the front door.  Seconds later, as the girl is crossing the street, her mother appears suddenly and reminds her to look both ways and then the mom quickly vanishes.  Throughout the rest of the spot, the mom appears and disappears to provide guidance.   This creative technique conveys that while the mother may not be with her daughter physically at all times, the rules and expectations she sets will resonate with her daughter to keep her safe.  In the last scenario, the daughter is riding in a car with her friends and is offered marijuana; this time her mother does not appear.  The young girl hesitates and does not know what to say when confronted with whether or not to smoke marijuana.  The spot concludes with the voiceover: “If you never told her, how will she know what to do?”    

“The ‘disappearing’ creative device is very effective in producing a dramatic effect throughout the message,” said Kristi Rowe, director of content development at the Partnership.  “Right at that crucial moment where their children are offered marijuana, the parents are not there to guide them to help them make the right decision not to use pot.”

Within the same messaging strategy, the TV spot “Dad” takes place on a subway platform.   As the teenage son is going through the motions of taking the subway to meet some friends, Dad suddenly appears several times to provide guidance on being courteous to others and staying safe on the platform.  After each bit of advice, the dad quickly vanishes from the frame.  When the son’s friends offer him marijuana, his father does not appear.  It is clear that the teen does not know how to respond.  The message ends with tag line: “If you never told him, how will he know what to do?”

“Of all the people that influence the choices teens make, no one has more impact than parents do and that’s the message these spots drive home,” said Brian Fallon.  Co-Associate Creative Directors Brian Fallon and Doug Fallon of Grey Worldwide created the “How Will They Know” campaign.

The TV message, “Peers” also emphasizes how important it is for parents to talk to their teens about smoking marijuana to help them make the right decision when confronted with it.  Shot from the perspective of a teen who is approached by his friends through the course of his school day, “Peers” portrays peer pressure and how it can impact teens’ decisions about drugs.  The spot concludes with the voiceover: “Why is talking to your teen about pot so important?  Because you’re not the only one doing the talking.  Be clear. Be firm. Be a parent.” 
 
Grey Worldwide Creative Directors Alison Brown and Troy Torrison created the “Peers” commercial to “remind parents just how pernicious peer pressure can be.”  Torrison adds, “Kids aren't just pressured to do drugs at school, they're given all the tools to cover-up their actions.  We hope the spot – and the campaign overall – makes parents see the urgent need to communicate with their kids about smoking pot without being preachy.”

The new parent-education campaign will launch during NBC’s primetime Winter Olympics telecast and will also appear during other primetime shows on network television.  Ads will also run in major print publications, online and on highly rated radio programs.