Province says syphilis website working
Posted Jun 15, 2011 2:03 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A controversial new website launched by Alberta Health and Wellness to curb the spread of syphillis is getting the results the department was hoping for.
The site, plentyofsyph.com, is a direct spoof of the popular dating website plentyoffish.com.
The online dating service has made it known it’s not happy with the parody.
A Plentyoffish.com company spokesman has been quoted as accusing the health department’s site of blatant disrespect for a private company’s brand but Alberta’s top doctor says that was never the intention.
“We didn’t mean any disrespect but, you know, we follow the advice from our marketing advisors. You know obviously using a parody is something that is drawing attention and it’s proving itself to be the right decision,” says Dr. Andre Corriveau.
Dr. Corriveau says that proof is evident in the heavy traffic on the website and after a significant increase in visits to Alberta STD clinics in the early stages of the $2-million campaign.
