Shock campaigns on motherhood and children

August 2012, the city of New York launches a rather muscular pro-breastfeeding campaign. On the poster, we can read in particular: “breast milk: less risk of infection, less risk of diarrhea …” This campaign is part of a more global plan called “Latch on NYC”, the objective of which is to encourage maternity hospitals to limit the distribution of artificial milk.

This pro-breastfeeding poster circulated in Montreal on the occasion of Breastfeeding Week provoked much criticism. Having a famous actress pose in sexy clothes, baby at the breast, was not to the taste of the inhabitants of the city at all. The intention is not bad, however, it was obviously to encourage mothers to breastfeed.

A sleeping baby, a priori nothing serious, except that at his side, we notice a huge kitchen knife. This communication campaign, broadcast in 2012 in the United States, aims to raise awareness of the dangers of co-sleeping and lying on your stomach. The message is clear: “Babies who sleep with their parents can die. “

Every year in France, hundreds of babies are shaken. This form of abuse can cause disability or death. This shock campaign aims to educate parents and health professionals about this dramatic act.

This particularly shocking campaign shows a child whose body is shattered into several pieces. “You can lose more than your patience”: you can lose more than your patience. This awareness campaign, disseminated in Poland in January 2009, was initiated by the government and several associations. The goal: to prevent mistreatment.

On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of its Toll-Free Number, Enfance et Partage launched a vast national campaign against child abuse in 2012. On the posters, we could see the faces of two prematurely aged children and the words: “Maltreated children , do not deprive them of their childhood. “

Still in the area of ​​mistreatment, this awareness campaign, broadcast in Spain in 2013, used an original process to retain the attention of children. The poster can only be seen by them. A lenticular filter redirects the light rays downwards and only makes the message visible, as well as the child’s injury, to people measuring less than 1m, the average height of a 35-year-old. The alert message is: “If someone is harming you, call us and we will help you”, along with the foundation number.

In the United States, this prevention campaign against teenage pregnancies, broadcast in the spring of 2013, has attracted a lot of attention. And for good reason: we see babies, visibly unhappy, talking about their dark future. “I’m twice as likely not to graduate from high school because you had me when you were a teenager” or “Daddy, you’re going to pay to help me for 20 years.” Not sure that this campaign of guilt had the desired effect.

“Children are not sex objects” is the headline of this shock campaign against incest broadcast in November 2004 on the occasion of the World Day of the Rights of the Child. Each year, thousands of children are victims of sexual assault by a member of their family. These crimes are still taboo, so it is difficult for victims to talk about them.

In the United States, but also in many industrialized countries, obesity is a real public health problem. The state of Georgia occupies the sad second place of the podium in childhood obesity. To fight against this scourge, the Strong4Life organization launched in 2012 a shocking black and white campaign showing obese children who feel bad about themselves. “My weight can make you laugh but can also kill me”, or “it’s hard to be a little girl if you are not really,” read the posters. This campaign, whose objective was clearly to make parents feel guilty, sparked a flood of criticism.

Are the heroes of cartoons or games in the best position to convey messages to children? In any case, this is the bet of the American association Active Life Movement which used these characters to educate parents about childhood obesity. This communication campaign, broadcast in 2009, is based on posters where we can see an obese Barbie, lying in bed, surrounded by junk food, or a superhero slumped in front of the television, a chicken thigh the hand. The message is clear: “Save your child from obesity”.

In another register, this campaign of the Mexican Association of Pediatrics, revealed in 2008, alerts on the importance of milk consumption in children. “Children who do not drink enough milk are more fragile”, we can read in the image. The impressive poster has the merit of alerting parents, but its quirky side, if taken at face value, is questionable.

According to a study by the Belgian Institute for Road Safety (IBSR) from 2011, 1 in 2 children are not properly secured in the car. These worrying figures have led the IBSR to launch a vast prevention campaign aimed at parents.

“He cannot speak but he is already coughing very well”. This poster campaign, distributed by INPES in 2011, aims to educate parents about the risks of tobacco. An increase in bronchitis (+ 72%), asthma attacks (+ 52%), otitis (+ 48%) was observed in children exposed to passive smoking.

“The color of your skin shouldn’t dictate your future.” This communication campaign was launched by the International League against Racism and Anti-Semitism (LICRA) in 2009. Objective: to fight against the stigmatization of minorities.

Amnesty International strikes hard with this trompe l’oeil campaign broadcast in Zurich in 2013. We see a child holding a weapon almost as large as him. On the poster we can read: “It is not happening here, but it is happening right now”

With this shock campaign, the Save The Children association wishes to raise awareness about child labor in the fashion and textile industry. A message that inevitably makes you think …

“Your child is not a pizza” is the shocking message of an Israeli prevention campaign that wants to make parents aware of children forgetting in cars… The video that follows is chilling.

In France, autism affects one in 100 children. However, families are still not supported, and most children with this disability do not attend school. To denounce this situation, the Autism Collective launched a shock campaign in 2014 on the violation of the rights of people with autism.