how do you know we need to lose weight?

On FitSugar.com, a health site, there was recently posted an article titled "Guerilla Weight Loss campaign: cool or not?"
The articles discusses a recent A recent guerrilla ad campaign that has angered some New Yorkers. The Ad Council and the US Department of Health and Human Services placed tiny T-shirts in dryers throughout the city urging those doing their laundry to “shrink a few sizes.”
How do they know our weight? What if that shirt was placed in a machine used by someone insecure, already diagnosed with an eating disorder...does that person have to shrink a few sizes?

Lucky for those who find the shirts, because on it they are directed to a website ( HHS’s Smallstep site) which encourages (whomever) a little more to "“shed those holiday pounds, reduce their risk for obesity, and lead a healthy lifestyle.” Created by McCann Erickson, probono, the same guys who brought you ads for Applebees and Wendy's hypocritical much?

Props for creativity, and for standing out...but, hey, did they want to make people mad? I personally would be offended if while doing my weekend load with friends, i pulled out a t-shirt basically saying I'm fat. And i am not the only one. This is making a lot of people mad, and McCann is getting criticized for it.

Also, the decision to have this campaign in NYC was a questionable one. Yes, America has a weight problem, an obesity "epidemic" if you will, New Yorkers though, compared to the rest of middle America, are more fit.

We need to watch out a bit with nontraditional ads. Beware of getting a negative buzz, and making people angry. Maybe it makes you stand out more, creates a hype, but a bad one will do nothing for traffic and sales. I'm pretty sure it makes sense that rule #1 would be to get on your consumers good side. yeah. thats is.