February 16, 2005
Using D.C. as a Policy Billboard
The usually Spartan feel of the Capitol South metrorail station has been broken by, of all things, pictures of smiling couples. As part of an advertising campaign, all nine available billboard spots at the station's entrance have taken to declaring the merits of marriage. While it isn't odd for policy pushers to target the metrorail system, especially stations close to the Capitol campus (like Capitol South and Union Station), we were struck by all the happiness amid all the miserable commuters.
The ads feature a picture of a smiling couple and a pro-marriage message, from the simple “Marriage Works” to “Kids of married couples do better in school” and “Married people make more money.” While DCist has not yet made the rounds of all the 88 stations in the transit system, the ads have also been spotted at Federal Triangle and Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan.
The ad campaign is sponsored by the Campaign for Our Children, a Baltimore-based non-profit formed to “address the high teen birth rate in Maryland through a comprehensive, hands-on program to educate children, parents and the general public.” The campaign seeks to educate 15 to 19 year-olds as to the merits of the “world’s most cherished institutions: marriage,” in hopes of lowering the number of teenagers who have children. Oh, and February is National Marriage Month.
CFOC spent upwards of $800,000 on the ads in Baltimore and Washington, and plan on taking it national in the coming months. So far, they have received endorsements from Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich, Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, and Wade Horn, assistant secretary for children and families at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
CFOC is most famous for an awareness campaign that featured billboards with the word “Virgin” displayed in large, bold letters, along with the message “Teach your kids it’s not a dirty word.”
Cover our eyes! ... Are they using the "v"-word?
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Yep, there's a big-ass banner up on the "back" entrance to the Union Station Metro above the farecard machines.
I believe we can safely assume the banners are promoting only heterosexual marriage as a panacea for all of society's ills, since we all know that homosexual "marriage" (as that bastion of impartial journalism, the Washington Times, is wont to say) will lead to the utter destruction of our civilization...
I was curious when I saw these ads, because, if they were trying to target 15-19 year olds, why put so much emphasis on Capitol South? After all, that station doesn't serve many people other than Hill aides and staffers.
It also reminds me of the recent advertising battle between Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky Aircraft, where they duked it out for prime ad spots at the Pentagon stop and the Crystal City stop. It's no wonder they fought for those two stations--they both serve DOD employees, and both companies were fighting for the $1 billion contract to build 23-presidential helicopters.
I think the misleading ad should say:
"Marriage Works, about half the time"
...roughly 50% of all marriages end in divorce...
They are at the Mt. Vernon Sq metro as well.
While marraige is a fine institution how is going to stop high teenage pregancy rates since most married people have kids?
Maybe they should spend the money convincing themselves that condom is not a dirty word.
i took this picture of a marriage billboard at the woodley park metro.
They're also at both 7th St. entrances to Gallery Pl - Chinatown, too. At the 7th & H entrance, someone took a magic marker and changed "Marriage Works" to "Marriage IS Work."
I keep hearing that marriage works. I'd like to give it a try. Legally, that is.
Someone wrote some graffiti to that effect on one of these ads at Union Station. I think the ad says "Marriage Works," and the writing reads "then let gays do it"
they've hit up tenleytown also for the "children of married parents do better in school" poster.
but honestly, the organization selected the least attractive couple possible to represent themselves.
I snapped this pic at Union Station the other day, confirming what Rob saw.