The controversial advertisement "I just want to be carefree" caused controversy, the Vietnam Advertising Association spoke up

Last week, the billboards "I just want to be carefree" placed in many central locations of Ho Chi Minh City received great attention from the public.

Most "passers-by" think that the advertisement carries a negative message and is not constructive.

The rest believe that this is just a controversial marketing ploy to attract media attention.

The online community feels curious and confused about this brand's actions, especially when these billboards were taken down, after countless mixed reactions.

The main characters in each billboard are children, looking sad and tired, with pleading, begging eyes. The main color of the poster is dark tones.

Not to mention, slogans with content like "Mom, how many more races will be enough?", "The more Mom demands, the more tired I am", "Mom, who wants to be a champion?" or "Mom, lower your expectations, I'll feel less pressure"... are like... "adding fuel to the fire", instead of wanting to convey the advertising content.

Mr. Le Minh Tam, founder of TGM Media, believes that the "Con chi muon vo tu" campaign was not carried out by an individual or small organization, but is most likely the intentional opening step of a long-term communication plan.

"Using images of children, choosing controversial messages and being anonymous in advertising are signs that the brand is deliberately trying to cause controversy and gain attention. But now, no matter how they appear, they will be viewed negatively," he said.

According to Mr. Tam, the campaign is controversial because it shows clear gender bias. The messages are aimed only at mothers, while fathers are completely absent from children's education. This message can hurt mothers.

"There is nothing wrong with parents having high expectations for their children, as long as they are not extreme or impossible. They do not deserve to be unfairly condemned on a billboard in the middle of the city," he said.

Marketing experts said the campaign was controversial because it used illustrations of children with dark tones and sad faces. He considered it inhumane to exploit negative emotions from the audience.

Analyzing the recent uproar, Mr. Nguyen Truong Son, Chairman of the Vietnam Advertising Association, said that slogans would cause less reaction if they appeared in educational articles with solid arguments and convincing evidence. The problem occurs because the messages appear separately, without accompanying explanations or analysis.

"Putting up potentially controversial statements without explanation or context is an improper way of communicating. It's easy to receive negative effects from society," Mr. Son commented.

The Chairman of the Vietnam Advertising Association determined that the "Con chi muon vo tu" campaign was not legally wrong. Because, in order to advertise on outdoor billboards, the unit must be approved by the city's Department of Culture and Sports regarding the content and form of the advertisement.

However, this campaign shows signs of going beyond the bounds of professional ethics when it intentionally creates a negative effect in the community. According to Mr. Son, the use of images of sad, exhausted children with dark colors can easily cause reactions.

"In the advertising industry, in addition to the law, there is also a code of conduct and professional ethics. If advertisers do not comply, they will be boycotted and protested. Any campaign that creates a negative effect will be condemned by society and state management agencies will promptly intervene to prevent it," he affirmed.

The two experts agreed that the lesson learned this time for brands and advertising agencies is to carefully consider the content and message before announcing it. The campaign message needs to reflect the general trend of the times and not come from the narrow perspective of one or a few individuals creating the content.

Furthermore, when brands choose to remain anonymous to avoid condemnation, they also give up the right to defend and argue if a crisis arises. If all that remains is negative emotions, gender stereotypes and images of tired children, perhaps this is a campaign that people want to... carefreely forget.

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