Can a woman and a pig chillaxing in a sauna convey the importance of cooking pork thoroughly? How about showing a shopper faced with a choice of a single dress in an empty mall as a way to convince patients they need to learn about multiple treatment options? Two government agencies are using those scenarios as part of public-service ad campaigns — created with the pro bono help of the Ad Council — to get across important health messages to consumers. The USDA earlier this week launched a series of TV and radio ads about safe food preparation in anticipation of peak summer barbecue season, when foodborne illness can be a special danger. And the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality today unveiled its own campaign to encourage patients to explore different treatment options after a diagnosis. The USDA’s plans for its foodborne illness awareness campaign were first reported in the WSJ’s June 14 Informed Patient column about a rise in cases of salmonella infections in the U.S. Rather than take a more traditional approach, both campaigns’ TV spots veer towards the quirky. In the sauna ad (see below), the woman looks at the pig, then pours water over hot rocks to create steam and send the thermometer’s mercury higher; a voice-over advises cooking meat to the proper temperature. That has some in the industry scratching their heads, according to Food Safety News , which reports that critics say the videos are too offbeat and don’t actually show how to follow the suggested safety steps. USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service spokesman Neil Gaffney says the humor in the ads is meant to draw people in before ending with a serious message: an estimated 3,000

Americans will die from food poisoning this year .  The ads also steer consumers to foodsafety.gov for practical information. Ellyn Fisher, a vice president at the Ad Council, tells the Health Blog that consumer research showed food safety isn’t an issue on the radar, “so we knew we needed to use a fresh and unique approach to get their attention.” Ad agency JWT New York  developed the concept using  animals as metaphors for  four key food safe handling behaviors (clean, separate, cook and chill), and focus groups found them to be  “motivating and attention-getting,” says Fisher. Likewise, the aim of the AHRQ campaign is to use an unusual scenario to encourage patients to become more informed about their options before choosing a treatment for a health condition or illness. After the somewhat surreal trip through the empty mall ends with the presentation of the single dress, the voice-over intones, “You expect options everywhere else, why not with your medical treatment?” Ads for TV, print, radio, outdoors and the web created by Grey New York suggest patients talk with their doctors and visit the AHRQ.gov website  where they can find plain-language guides that summarize the scientific evidence on treatments for numerous medical conditions, including diabetes, osteoarthritis, high blood pressure,  and high cholesterol. “We see the best outcomes when doctors and patients work together to come up with a treatment plan that takes into account the patient’s quality-of-life concerns,” says physician and AHRQ Director Carolyn M. Clancy. “Information is power in health care, and this campaign will provide patients with the information they need to become partners with their doctors in their health and health care.”

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Government Public-Service Ad Features Sauna-Going Pig