Has it come to this? That's the question many are asking of a bold billboard campaign for Genetic Discovery that asks "Is His Mother A Liar?" The photo featured in the campaign is of a baby with a Pinocchio nose (apparently inherited from his mother).
If the campaign offends or insults, that's part of the strategy to get people talking about DNA testing and its uses for proving paternity, says Lisa McDaniel, Genetic Discovery's communications director.
The campaign underway in 10 cities has triggered a few complaints from women who say the ad suggests the baby did something wrong and from motorists who consider the ad a troubling sign of the times. That's the price Genetic Discovery, a subsidiary of DNA Diagnostics in Fairfield, Ohio, is willing to pay to boost awareness of DNA paternity testing.
So far, despite the sprinkling of complaints, the marketing strategy seems to be working. In each of the 10 markets, including Indianapolis, Chicago, Detroit and Cleveland, the local print and broadcast media has covered the campaign's controversial approach to promoting paternity testing. The Cleveland Plain Dealer, for instance, described the effort as tabloid TV "playing out on Interstate 71." The campaign, launched in late May, has also generated hundreds of calls per day to the com-pany's hotline, says McDaniel.
Indeed, tabloid TV has sensationalized the issue of DNA testing via talk shows that promote "Is he the real father?" themes, says McDaniel. Genetic Discovery has performed paternity tests for several TV talk shows including "Montell," "Ricki Lake" and "Sally Jesse Raphael." This sensational human drama context has helped the public learn about DNA testing, says McDaniel, and the exposure is priceless. The billboard campaign simply echoes this philosophy.
Some in the industry take exception to Genetic Discovery's brash marketing approach. Caroline Caskey, president of Indentigene, the first gene testing company to use billboards starting in 1995, is one of them. "I'm not comfortable with a campaign that accuses or points fingers [to promote DNA testing]." Identigene's billboard campaign, promoted in 30 markets, takes a more subtle approach. The tagline asks: "Who's the Father? 1-800-DNA-TYPE." Caskey, however, is not concerned about the image of the testing industry, as long as people understand that the technology is widely available for discovering the truth about paternity. Though the talk show circuit tends to emphasize the controversial aspects of testing, Caskey says that people also need to be aware of:
- How useful it is for child support initiatives and any family member who wants to prove paternity.
- The anonymity of the testing; and
- The speed, accuracy and cost effectiveness of the testing.
Though Identigene has also provided paternity testing for talk shows, Caskey believes that eventually the public will tire of the sensational themes that have proven to be a promotional boon for DNA testing companies and advertising will become more necessary.
(Genetic Discovery, Lisa McDaniel; 800/613-5768; Identigene, Caroline Caskey, 800-DNA-TYPE )
Paternity Testing Fast Facts
- There are nearly 50 accredited DNA genetic testing labs nationwide.
- This year, it is expected that 250,000 paternity tests will be done in the U.S.
- The accuracy level of DNA paternal testing can range from 99.9% to 99.996.
Source: Identigene/Genetic Discovery