Making A Difference
The Impact of the Health Promotion Directorate's Social Marketing Campaigns: (1987-1991)

Appendix A "Really Me/Drogues, Pas Besoin !" Campaign Activities

1987-88

The first "National Forum on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse" was held in Winnipeg in October 1987. More than 175 community volunteers, addictions specialists and other health, social service and law enforcement professionals acquired relevant new information and skills.

A total of one million copies of the "Really Me/Drogues, on s'en parle" booklets were produced. They were promoted through a Family Allowance Cheque insert distribute to over four million households, as well as through print and television ads, promotions, etc. More than four million booklets (English and French) have been distributed to date.

The Health Promotion Directorate coordinated the Departments participation in the November 1987 Drug Awareness Week. Support included media interviews, newspaper advertising, mail posters and information handouts as well as Family Allowance cheque inserts promoting the event.

Hilroy, the largest producer of school supplies in Canada, became the first of many private sector companies to participate in Canada's Drug Strategy. The company's participation was announced at a press conference in August, 1988. Over 1.2 million copies of the popular "Note Tote" binder were produced featuring the "Really Me" and "Drogues, pas besoin!" logos. Hilroy also imprinted the campaign's message on a wide variety of their school products.

1988-89

The second "National Forum on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse" was held in Halifax in May 1989. Youth leaders developed an action plan on alcohol and other drug use and established a coast-to-coast network of regional youth organizations concerned about alcohol and other drug abuse.

The "National Drug Test", a 60-minute television special produced by CTV in conjunction with the Department, was broadcast on January 29, 1989. An estimated 2.4 million viewers watched the show, which earned the highest rating of the night and the fourth highest rating for the week. A record number of viewers watched the show from beginning to end. Two repeat broadcasts in 1989 brought the show's total audience to almost four million viewers.

"Question de drogues," the 60-minute French version of the "National Drug Test" aired on the Radio-Canada network for the first of three showings in February, 1989. The first show was watched by 850,000 viewers. Two subsequent broadcasts brought the show's total audience to 1,250,000 people.

The Health Promotion Directorate again coordinated the Department's involvement in National Drug Awareness Week. A special condensed version of the "Really Me" booklet was inserted in the November issue of Readers Digest. "Really Me" booklets were made available at over 1,000 supermarkets across Canada.

Safeway, Western Canada's largest food distributor, promoted the "Really Me" message to customers and employees through in-store and out-of-store advertising. "Really Me" information materials were distributed at more than 400 stores. Safeway invested more than $100,000 in activities to support the campaign. It also initiated a fund-raising initiative which raised more than $40,000 in its first year of operation. Funds were used to enable community groups to prevent and treat drug abuse.

Hilroy continued its partnership in Canada's Drug Strategy. The company sponsored "Really Me" contests in retail stores and continued to imprint the "Really Me/Drogues, pas besoin!" logos on a wide variety of school products, including more than 1.2 million copies of its popular "Note Tote" binder.

1989-90

"Straight Facts About Drugs and Drug Abuse/Les Drogues: Faits et Méfaits" was originally produced in 1983/84 and revised in 1988-89. In 1989-90, 600,000 English and 300,000 French copies were distributed. To date, a total of over four million copies (English and French combined) have been distributed.

An all-request video hour on Much Music, "R.S.V.P. Really Me", was sponsored by the "In Search of Cool" commercials. The Minister of National Health and Welfare made a special appearance on Much Music to discuss the "Really Me" campaign with rock hostess Erica Ehm.

"YTV's 'Really Me'" series of short programs focused on the achievements of young people across Canada. The series averaged 52 plays per week, or 2,700 plays per year. "Really Me" also sponsored YTV's Youth Achievements Awards show in November 1989. The Minister appeared in a special YTV vignette to discuss alcohol and other drug issues with young Toronto students.

The Boy Scouts of Canada became partners in Canada's Drug Strategy. The "Really Me" booklet was reprinted in the Scouts The Leader magazine (circulation: 42,000) with an accompanying editorial by Health and Welfare Canada.

The Health Promotion Directorate, in collaboration with the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, produced the "Drug Dialogue" and "Dialogue sur les drogues" videos to help parents effectively discuss alcohol and other drugs with their children. Over 40,000 videos were distributed through Provigo, Safeway, Sobey's, and A&P supermarkets during November and December 1989. Total sales of more than 150,000 copies are anticipated.

Hilroy continued its partnership in Canada's Drug Strategy. Hilroy products promoted the campaign and accounted for an estimated 13 million viewings of campaign messages by young Canadians.

1990-91

A November 1990 family allowance cheque insert promoted the availability of the "Role Modelling: A Parent's Toughest Performance" booklet as well as two "Ready or Not" educational booklets. By mid-February, 1991, the Department had received almost 500,000 requests for the three booklets, which provide parents with information and skills for using family discussions to prevent problems with alcohol or other drug abuse.

The "Clip-Clap" contest was organized by the Department in collaboration with the Départements de santé communautaires in Quebec. Students from over 200 high schools were invited to develop a script demonstrating that it is "cool" not to use drugs. The three winners received trips to Universal Studios in Disneyworld compliments of Air Canada Touram and Club Aventure. The winning scripts were produced and shown on Musique Plus .

Copies of the "Drug Dialogue/Dialogue sur les drogues" videos were made available for rental free of charge at more than 4000 video outlets across Canada. In-store signage and posters promote the video.

"YTV's 'Really Me'", series of short programs continued to focus on the achievements of young people across Canada. The series again averaged 52 plays per week, or 2,700 plays per year and was sponsored by the new "Magic Screen" series of commercials ("The Wall", "The Sky" and "Slumber Party".)

During 1990-91, Health and Welfare made it part of its policy to negotiate value-added, guaranteed campaign extensions known as "bonusing" when media ad and time space was booked. Bonusing for transit promotions alone accounted for an additional $220,000 dollars worth of advertising in 56 markets across the country.

Tele-Direct Yellow Pages became a partner in Canada's Drug Strategy. The company provided $3.5 million worth of free advertising space to promote the "Drug Dialogue" and "Dialogues sur les drogues" videos via a toll-free number. The videos were also promoted on poly bag packaging on more than seven million phone books in key cities.

Health and Welfare Canada, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and the Association of Concerned Children's Advertisers co-sponsored a series of 26 drug awareness vignettes targeted at youth. Broadcasters across Canada donated over $10 million worth of free media time to air the ads.

The Toronto-Dominion Bank purchased an initial 1,000 copies of the "Drug Dialogue" video to use in its educational and drug awareness programs.

CBS Records completed the "Really Me" anthem cassette, which features popular Canadian artists performing songs with anti-substance abuse messages. The cassettes were available in September 1990 at more than 750 Federated Co-op and United Co-Op gas stations in Western Canada and Ontario. Federated and United Co-ops have spent more than $350,000 to promote the "Really Me" messages and resource materials. Negotiations began to distribute the cassette at outlets in other parts of the country. CBS anticipates total sales of more than 250,000 copies.

The Department collaborated with NEC Canada and Turbo-Graphx to promote the "Bonk's Adventures" video game, which encourages healthy lifestyles. General Motors of Canada provided vans for a "Turbo Tour" that promoted the game at over 50 special events in Ontario and Quebec throughout the summer. More than 20,000 "Really Me/Drogues, pas besoin!" buttons and booklets were distributed. The promotion continued at special events in the two provinces throughout 1990-91 (e.g., Winterlude).

Health and Welfare Canada, Readers' Digest/Sélection and the Concerned Children's Advertisers sponsored a contest that appeared in the September 1990 issue of Readers' Digest/ Sélection magazine (combined circulation = 4.5 million). School-age children were invited to design anti-drug and alcohol print ads. Readers' Digest/Sélection donated advertising space to promote the contest and a cash award to each school that submitted a winning regional entry.

In association with the Canadian Chiefs of Police, the Alliance for a Drug-Free Canada and Marvel Comics, the Department launched a national drug awareness program featuring the popular "Spider-Man" comic book hero. The first of two drug prevention issues, "Skating on Thin ice," was released in December 1990. Over 3 million copies (English and French combined) of the two Spider-Man theme issues were produced. About half of these were distributed through Canada's major supermarket chains and retailers. The other 1.5 million copies were distributed to schools and Communities throughout Canada by local police and RCMP forces.