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May 30, 2007
No. 07-30
Contact: Bonnie Powell, Director, Public Affairs
703-681-1765
FALLS CHURCH, VA. – Have a touch of sloberous sweatoomuch? It’s not a new disease, but it may be a symptom of “That Guy” syndrome. A Department of Defense funded peer-to-peer campaign to increase awareness of the problems associated with overindulging in alcohol has a Webby Award winning Web site at www.thatguy.com, and some impressive test results to go with it.
“This has primarily been a ‘stealth’ campaign to reach our target audience where they live, work and play,” said Army Maj. Gen. Elder Granger, TRICARE deputy director. “That Guy is intended to create awareness of the problems associated with excessive drinking through humorous messages designed to reach young service members through a unique peer-to-peer approach – rather than from the top down.”
The Webby Award and growing interest in the campaign is literally forcing “That Guy” into the limelight.
The www.thatguy.com Web site, designed by consultant Fleishman-Hillard Inc. after extensive research, won a Webby Award from among five finalists in the health Web site category. Other competitors included www.webMD.com, a popular and widely used health information site. Webby’s are similar to Oscars, only for the Internet. A panel of celebrities and industry experts determined the 2007 winners from more than 8,000 nominations received worldwide.
The That Guy alcohol counter marketing effort is a key element in TRICARE’s Healthy Choices campaign, which also tackles the issues of obesity and smoking. That Guy has captured the attention of organizations ranging from the New York City Police Department, to universities and colleges, to the Air Force Air Mobility Command. Media attention has come from the New York Times and the Portland Oregonian.
The campaign does push a few boundaries and even has a page on www.myspace.com. Users of www.thatguy.com can click around in a landscape of bars with cardboard cutouts of joke tellers and That Guy evolutionary stages such as “brainmaximus,” “motorskillsnotworkmuch” and of course “sloberous sweatoomuch.” MTV-style man-on-the-street interviews with That Guy observers and even That Guy war stories can be found on the site. On the serious side, the site also has advice on where to go for help if a service member thinks he or she might be “That Guy.”
In addition to the Web site, That Guy messages were used on advertising on billboards, newspapers, and TV and radio at four test sites: Fort Bragg, Pope Air Force Base, and Camp LeJeune, N.C., and at Pensacola Naval Air Station, Fla. Drink coasters with humorous messages and small posters designed to hang in offices and dorms were also an integral part of the campaign at the test sites.
“Oddly enough, preliminary surveys showed that even though great awareness was achieved through the peer-to-peer approach, it also worked very well if commanders were supportive of the effort, without forcing the message,” said Granger. “In fact, awareness was notably higher where there was leadership support.”
Air Force wing and unit commanders who stood at base gates handing out That Guy beer coasters to service members, or the Marine general officer who encouraged “pushing the boundaries of good taste” if it helps get the attention of young Marines, were just a couple of examples of senior leadership support efforts.
The videos and campaign promotional materials on the award-winning “That Guy” Web site will soon be made available for downloading to installation Safety, Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention, and Health Promotion points of contact and the campaign will expand to more test sites. A That Guy public service video can currently be viewed at http://www.tricare.mil/pressroom/press_psa.aspx.
Since peer intervention at the time of alcohol consumption is a key factor, the intent is still to keep That Guy a peer-to-peer campaign as much as possible. “However, if commanders want to adopt the campaign as it expands,” said Granger, “their support will be valuable in helping us influence young service members to think before they drink – and not become That Guy.”
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