The foot of retribution!

There's nothing quite like a government body stepping in and using anti-marketing in its campaigns. To be honest, when the government indulges in this, it is usually not that subtle. We are not talking Guinness or Marmite here - just the heavy boot of retribution stamping down in the little guy if he/she steps foul of the rules. Not that the intentions are bad in the particular campaign above. Of course not - driving fast in towns is a very bad thing indeed. It's just that it lacks... subtlety. And although it could argued that the picture is just showing the results of 'putting your foot down' in a crowded area, the implications are that offenders will also be dealt with in a similar way!

Back in the 70s, successive governments slowly began to realise that 'public-awareness' advertising was a good idea in getting messages of doom across to a careless and anti-social public. Think smoking, excessive drinking, zebra crossings and safety-belts ('clunk-click' every trip - but we'll not talk about that one, for fairly obvious reasons!).

Since that time, lots of other stuff has been added to the list, like fly-tipping, as in the poster below. ‘Big Brother’ anti-marketing tactics here. The forces of law and order are watching... and will get you! Again, it's good that fly-tipping is being singled out as a menace to society, but... there's something a bit 'Stalinistic' about this poster - a little worrying on many counts.

Much more of stuff like this and a laugh a minute as well in 'The Anti-Marketeer's Handbook' - just out and begging to be bought... or the foot of retribution will stamp down on you... hard!!