Eating Disorder Ad Campaign

Posted by Lori Henry Nov 1, 2006

"Eating disorders are still misunderstood by the public," says Dr. Allan Kaplan, a psychiatrist and Sheena's Place board member. "They are still romanticized, their severity is minimized, and the understanding of eating disorders is superficial."

Sheena’s Place is a non-profit organization named after Sheena Carpenter, a young woman who died of an eating disorder. The center offers services in a welcoming, non-institutional environment and is centrally located in downtown Toronto.

"This was a tremendous opportunity to raise awareness for a silent and misunderstood condition," said Nancy Vonk, co-creative director of Ogilvy Toronto, who donated their services for the ads. "This campaign is designed to move the reader from cynicism and apathy to empathy and interest."

The ads have comments like, “I never see my daughter eat” and then goes into detail in small print. But some of the ads are worrisome.

One says, “You have to be skinny to be popular.” Although the small print goes into more detail and offers where to get help, using the negative message in such a blatant way may catch someone’s eye but not make them read further.

But the ads are supposedly being received positively. "As a result of seeing them, people are either coming to Sheena's Place to gather more information to pass on to friends or they have strongly encouraged someone who they think might have an eating disorder to come to our Wednesday morning drop-ins to learn more about our programs and have a tour of our house,” says Anne Elliot, program director of Sheena’s Place.

“Others are so impressed with the prevention message that they've called to volunteer.”