To wonder what the hell MNDA are thinking with this poster?

[WoonerismSpit]

It reads like they are saying if Michael had performed the ice bucket challenge, he would never have been diagnosed. Like some sort of MND karma.

Obviously they can't mean that, but AIBU to think that it has been worded spectacularly badly?

The main point is he's an average young guy talking about something that was popular which people can relate to, and making it relevant to people.

There is no implication. The poster simply puts across the message that he thought MND was irrelevant to him. He was probably thinking, it's so incredibly rare, of all the health issues to be worried about, MND probably wouldn't even make it to the bottom of the list.

It worrying some adults don't get that, even on reading it a second or third time. Then again, there are 'newspapers' in the developed country that is the UK who underline and put in bold the important bits so their readers don't miss them.

Spot on

I think its dreadful - and it makes me feel more negative about the charity...

Agree with this 'fatalistic' reading of his words. I saw this poster at the station and did a massive double take. I read the meaning to be exactly like the chain letter thing.
Lots of people ARE superstitious or Self blaming about their (or relatives') health issues and this reading totally feeds into that fear and/or guilt.
Ironically (if they are anything like colleagues I have had) their Comms people will probably not care at all about this possible reading of the poster, purely because it's got us all talking and thinking about it they will count it as a success. But if that is their feeling they will be missing the point.

Ahh the Ice Bucket challenge - the CURE to MotorNeurone!

who knew??

YANBU - the wording, and actual message is shit. It rather implies this:

"I didn't raise money for this charity, but I'm happily spending their money now I'm ill! aren't I awful?"

Maggie thanks. Yes I did get that

Sorry Fanjo I am so bloody sleep deprived. I'll be explain to the dog how to locate his breakfast next

There is no implication. The poster simply puts across the message that he thought MND was irrelevant to him. He was probably thinking, it's so incredibly rare, of all the health issues to be worried about, MND probably wouldn't even make it to the bottom of the list.

It's clumsy looked at that way too.

And do they really want to keep reminding us all of the jeffing ice stupid bucket effin challenge? Was that not a grassroots thing that was emraced rather than vice versa?

This is not a sophisticated comms strategy.

Am hearing ya..not much sleep last night

I don't think this is the message that was intended at all, but it reads 'wrong' and is open to interpretation.

It's odd that this was 'missed' but then other ads have done the similar things before. Like the Snickers adverts "you're not you when you're hungry" implies that moodiness/snappiness/grumpiness is a woman only trait!

Thanks

I don't really get the point though - if it was HIV and I needed to be aware of it as my behaviours would expose me to contracting the disease it would make more sense.
There is not much you can do if you are destined to get MND sadly.

I don't like it at all and makes me have very negative feelings towards the charity. As many others are saying they don't like it, I'm obviously lot the only one.

YANBU. Complain to the charity

I think it's badly worded. In context, it probably makes sense.

I saw this poster last week in Sheffield.

The message I immediately got was ' if it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone' because the guy was quo is not that old and appears at first glanc just to be a regular sort of bloke.
The fact he didn't take part in the ice bucket challenge implies that he didn't take MND seriously as he thought it was of those things that happened to 'other people'.

I don't think it is a bad poster to be fair. I didn't read it as karma biting him on the arse.

Maybe not implication. I'm sure (hope) it isn't what was intended but it's a bizarre pairing that is wide open to that inference.

Again its only open to that inference if that is something you would infer. You can only read it that way if you think that "karma" gives you diseases or crap like that.

He's clearly saying that he didn't think it was relevant or important until it was about him. And if thats what he said, who the fuck are the rest of us to tell him he can't say so?

Sorry a line didn't make sense in my post. No idea what happened there, except I'm typing with no glasses on and trusting auto correct ( which let me down)

It worrying some adults don't get that, even on reading it a second or third time.

Please don't be worried on our account. Most of us did get it, we just felt it was slightly unfortunate phrasing.

'Mary was the only one of her group who didn't join in the race for life. Now Mary has cancer. Oh dear.'

'Little Max didn't get involved with Red Nose day last year. He thought it was silly. Now that Max's parents are dead and he relies on the charity, he always remembers to wear his red nose.'

But it isn't the charity talking about someone else, it is a sufferer talking about their own experience of the disease - he is saying that this time last year, he was so uninterested in MND that he didn't even take part in the ice-bucket challenge, whereas this year he has first hand experience of a diagnosis. If that is the message that he thought would have an impact on people in his shoes, then who's to say he's wrong?

This is NOT his personal campaign. This is the charity's campaign and they would have carefully selected both him and his words out of hundreds of people and words. No one is saying HE is wrong at all. Of course he is entitled to think and say what he likes.

Again its only open to that inference if that is something you would infer. You can only read it that way if you think that "karma" gives you diseases or crap like that.

What nonsense Winter. People can only 'hear' opinions, assertions, stances from others that accord with their own beliefs?

I do get that they are trying to convey the irony of his situation and that this time last year, he could never have known how his life was going to change etc etc.

But at first read, it really does read like he is saying he is being punished for not doing the ice bucket challenge.

I think it's a bit inappropriate tbh.

This is NOT his personal campaign. This is the charity's campaign and they would have carefully selected both him and his words out of hundreds of people and words. No one is saying HE is wrong at all. Of course he is entitled to think and say what he likes.

I don't think my post implied otherwise - my point was that your examples were third person talking about someone else, whereas presumably the charity believe that the people who might have the biggest impact on others are those who have actually had a diagnosis and thought about what might have increased their awareness beforehand. I don't doubt that they had plenty to choose from, but perhaps they thought that this particular man's story struck a chord precisely because he is honest about his lack of interest previously and the whole 'there but for the grace of god go I' factor.

The fact that it could be misinterpreted probably occurred to them, but presumably they thought that his perspective might appeal to those people who might otherwise be inclined to dismiss campaigns as a matter of course.