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Pleading for a Safe Homecoming at Queen's

Queen's University has been waging an ongoing struggle with negative publicity each fall for its Homecoming, which attracts hundreds of ill-behaved students from across Ontario and has resulted in numerous police charges, acts of violence and arson. In 2006, Queen's decided to tackle student attitudes to Homecoming parties head-on with a series of posters, newspaper ads, radio spots and door-hangers emphasizing the impact Homecoming violence is having on the reputation of the institution and its students. "It's not a car - it's your degree that's getting trashed...  It's taken 165 years to build Queen's reputation. Don't let one night destroy it."

	You can debate whether it's inspired or insane, but in 2007 the CASE Circle of Excellence judges thought it deserved the Grand Gold medal for advertising.  What do you think? Does it work? Or is this an example of negative advertising that just reinforces the negative stereotypes? What would be the reaction of the Kingston community to these ads?