Don't Be A Dickhead

The new Victorian Government’s ‘Don’t Be A Dickhead’ adverts have sparked controversy across the country. With the ads poking fun at redheads, Asians and Emo’s it is little wonder why they have caused such a stir. With lines like ‘Everytime you use your mobile phone while driving Gingas get fresh.....with other Gingas’ and ‘Everytime you use you mobile phone while driving an Emo is born’ there are many community groups that are concerned that the adverts may alienate certain groups in society and encourage bullying.

One reader of The Age newspaper posted a link to the Government’s bullying policy, which reads: "Bullying is when one or more people, deliberately upset or hurt another person, their property, reputation or social acceptance, and this action is repeated over time." The reader, Jane Bayly then added: "The government's policy materials discourage bullying, while their 'hip' advertising campaign encourages disparagement of emos and redheads. Brumby and Pallas, who's the dickhead?"

Vic Roads argue that the ads are a way to reach younger people by speaking in their language but the question remains; Are the ads going to be effective in deterring young people from using their mobile phones while driving ? According to a poll gathered by the Age 76% said no. After all ‘why are gingers getting fresh with other gingas’ going to discourage me from having a D&M with my mate while weaving through peak hour traffic with one hand at the wheel ? Shock and awe I say, I want to see a mobile phone wedged through someone’s cranium with lots of gore. One listener of Triple J’s ‘Hack’ program even said that Powderfinger’s ‘These Days’ on a NSW Government road safety campaign was enough to make her slow down, so perhaps we could combine those two ideas together.

Regardless of whether the ads are deemed to be offensive or not there is little the Advertising Standards Bureau can do considering the ads have already been leaked to video media platforms such as You-Tube, which will no doubt spread across the internet like wild fire. After all, that was the Victorian Government's original intention as the adverts were made for online viral marketing. But whether they are affective or not in actually making young people take notice and not use their mobile phone while driving that remains to be seen.

Do you think the Vic Roads ‘Don’t Be A Dickhead’ ads are offensive? Do you think they will be effective? Discuss this topic on the Beatz forums

Watch the videos here and decide for yourself: