Advertising campaign causes trouble: note deceives parking fine, exposes knockout drops!

Advertising campaign causes trouble: note deceives parking fine, exposes knockout drops!

What is happening in the streets of Vienna? A current incident is causing a stir, and not just among drivers. Silvia T. was visibly upset when she found a note in the windshield of her car that looked exactly like a parking fine. But instead of a punishment, it was advertising for knockout drop tests by “Night Saver” – a young Viennese start-up. This advertising campaign was met with great displeasure by Silvia T., who described it as inappropriate because the note was attached to her vehicle without authorization.

The marketing campaign, which included around 5,000 advertisements in five different districts, took place without the approval of MA 46, the responsible transport organization. The action therefore violated Section 82 of the Road Traffic Act. MA 67, the parking enforcement agency, was also affected and called for this advertising method to be stopped. Johannes Franner, a founding member of Night Saver, said they were in contact with city authorities and the situation has now been resolved. Fortunately, there have so far been no legal consequences, such as a report or a penalty notice.

Advertising with a serious background

“Night Saver” aims to develop a rapid test for detecting knockout drops that comes in the form of a small business card format. The test is intended to detect the widespread knockout drops GHB and GBL. The card contains beige heart-shaped test fields that turn purple when they come into contact with dangerous substances. The idea for the test came about after a shocking incident in which the sisters of a founder were poisoned with knockout drops in a Viennese club.

The test has been on the market since April 7th this year and so far over 2,000 test runs have been successfully carried out. But not everyone takes the advertising at face value. An external review by Falter magazine revealed that the map is not always reliable. A test at the Seibersdorf Research Center revealed that it does not affect GHB and GBL in beer unless it comes into contact with pure GHB. In addition, cleaning products with GBL show a significantly better reaction.

Frequency and effects of knockout drops

Knockout drops are sedative substances used to anesthetize victims in crimes such as sexual and property crimes. They are secretly mixed into drinks and can often cause memory lapses, making it extremely difficult for those affected to remember what happened. What is particularly dangerous is that many of these substances are colorless and odorless and break down quickly, which makes detection considerably more difficult. Unfortunately, the number of unreported cases is high - between 60 and 80 suspected cases are reported to the women's emergency hotline in Vienna every year, the actual number could be even higher.

The use of knockout drops such as GHB and GBL is alarming. GHB is not only referred to as “liquid ecstasy”, but is also often mentioned in connection with sexual crimes. GBL is legally available in Austria and is often used to make cleaners or solvents, but can easily be converted into GHB. The abuse of these substances not only represents a major social problem, but also requires more intensive education and prevention measures.

The “Night Saver” advertising campaign is therefore in the context of an important problem of our time, because knockout drops can not only endanger victims, but also endanger safety in society. “Night Saver” plans to launch further preventive advertising campaigns in the future in addition to raising awareness about knockout drops in order to raise awareness of this serious issue.