The most recent ad campaign from the Lung Cancer Alliance is pretty shocking. The latest ads that came out at the end of June have been turning heads, and many feel that they’re questionable. The ads simply state that certain groups of people deserve to die. One ad, in particular, features a blonde-haired woman smiling, with the words “Cat lovers deserve to die” displayed across her torso. What happened to educating people about cancer by wearing a cancer awareness ribbon?

The Lung Cancer Alliance Sheds Light on Lung Cancer

The purpose of the campaign is to shed light on the unsubstantiated ideas that surround lung cancer. The Lung Cancer Alliance feels many people are under the wrong assumption that people diagnosed with lung cancer are receiving a death sentence they deserve because they made the decision to smoke. By creating these scandalous ads, the nonprofit organization is showing the public that cancer does not discriminate. Many people afflicted with lung cancer never smoked a day in his or her life. Even if people choose to smoke, they do not deserve to die. Unfortunately, the organization has found that not everyone agrees with that idea. Perhaps the ad would be more effective if the people featured in the ads sported a lung cancer awareness ribbon so the public can have a visual of the cancer’s signature color of white.

More Shocking Ads to hit Social Media Outlets

The campaign whichhad a big impact social media outlets, like Facebook, has been receiving a lot of attention because of its hard-hitting strategy. The ads say groups like hipsters, the tattooed and the smug deserve to die. The idea is truly brilliant because it makes people do a double take and scratch their heads. If people don’t invest the extra time in the ad, they miss the information that follows, which includes the misinformation about people who smoke are taking the risk of getting cancer. The ads for the controversial campaign were plastered in 31 cities across the country, including Chicago, where some residents have been ripping them down. The organization is hoping that their ads are shocking enough that people will stick around to get the follow-up information.

People need to become more comfortable with these new forms of “shock”-vertising because companies like all the attention they receive. Many people are supporting these types of ads, as long as they are properly carried out and that viewers are receiving accurate information that stays with them past the length of the ad.

Mercedes Potter is a part of an elite team of writers who have contributed to hundreds of blogs and news sites. She follows trending topics and covers current news in this guest post. Follow her @CedesPotter.