Hi Folks,
Is this an advertisement or notice (On Straits Times, Page C3 On 3 Nov 08)?
At first I thought it was a notice but now I think it’s an advertisement.
Firstly, I could not find any information on this “Department Of Appropriate Behavior” and there is no link to it’s website (as all Singapore Government Departments do).
Secondly, it gives to much details for the programs it was supposed to be advising against. Looks to me that they want everyone to watch the shows and go to the website.
Thirdly, it it was too inappropriate, it would not make it pass the censorship board.
UPDATE: Fourthly, it appears in the Life! section of ST instead of in the Main Sections.
Lastly, on the bottom right hand corner of the notice in small print is this clue (image below) which gives it all away.
Clever! I hope it doesn’t backfire.
Cheers,
James
Thanks for pointing out the advertisement tag at the bottom right of the so-called “Public Notice”. I thought it was a little fishy that we had a governmental body to remind us to “mind [our] morals”.
Here’s something else to point out: Did you notice the character in the logo of the Department of Appropriate Behaviour is holding a feather duster as a cane? lol
Hey Syahid,
You are welcome.
I took the notice at face value at first and would have left it at that and maybe inform my family members who had SCV NOT TO watch those shows!!
But just like you, the fishy feeling could not go away and I started googling for an answer. That’s when I notice those little details.
And nope, I did not notice the feather duster. lol.
Cheers
makes you wonder what section 69 stipulates.. hehe.
just curious, aren’t government offices here in Singapore named as ‘Ministry of …’ as of opposed to ‘Department of …’?
Hey Raf,
Well, there are Ministry and there are some Departments too.
Im going to suggest viral marketing….
Have you seen the TV ad ?
Hey Eric,
Nope I didn’t but I heard the advertisement on Class 95FM. Definitely a marketing gimmick!
I just found this on you tube……..
http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=0CqfKqI7VGo
what’s going on?
i think this is a great idea, if it doesnt exist, we should create a “department of appropiate behaviour”, if only because the logo is cool…
Hey Bill,
Looks like the same series of marketing material. Could it be the TV ad Eric was talking about? I have yet to catch it on TV.
Hey Sandor,
lol! The whole ad was so well done, so formal. I was totally taken in at first glance. But I think we have enough rules here to worry about already. Let’s KIV that department for the moment
I saw something on the news today. Apparently its real guys.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Department_For_Appopriate_Behaviour
The spokesperson was on the news today…
Hey Scott,
Now that is interesting. A regulating group with money (we are talking tens of thousands) to advertise in mainstream newspaper (full page, no less) and have no website at all (not even a free blog on blogger)?
I still think it’s more advertisement then real moral campaign.
PS: BTW, which news channel were you referring to?
I don’t think its real. Looked at the wikipedia page and on the bottom you can see that the page was “last modified on 4 November 2008, at 19:09″.
Apparently someone created the wiki page to give the advertisement more “credibility”. Frankly I am not a fan of these kind of gimmicks as they resort to “tricking” normal viewers..
Hey Abe,
Glad you pointed that out. Neither am I a fan of such controversial advertising technique.
Well anyway you should watch the shows. At least Mad Men which is fantastic. Personally cant wait for Season 2 on DVD as season 1 was just about as good a show as I have ever seen.
When I first saw this in Fox Crime I thought it was just a joke…but I soon felt that it was something. I couldn’t sleep at night just watching this because I was really thinking whether this is a promotional joke or a real moral tickling!
I’m not from Singapore but just seeing that commercial made me kinda wonder if this is all true…I think in some way, it smells fishy because I don’t think they’d have it televised that way…
Besides, the censorship board should have banned it in the first place, I think. I just think this is fishy. I can’t really sleep because I can’t put my mind into this…is this a promotional tactic, or a real ACHTUNG sign
Franz, from the Philippines
Hey PJ,
That’s Great!
Hey Franz,
I do not like such marketing techniques too but don’t get too troubled over it. It’s just another advertisement now that we have sorted though all the decoys
LOL I knew it!
[...] week ago, I published an article about FX Channels controversial advertisement which I almost took it at face value. I knew it would create some buzz and definitely stir up [...]
I realised that there was something fishy when I saw it. Sure, it’s another advertising gimmick, but are they actually allowed to place their ads over another ad?
http://img152.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p1030258px1.jpg
Hey Fiona,
Wow! They actually did that?!!
I don’t know what to say …..