Is Botox influencing more than just facial nerves?

TV3's 60 Minutes ran another segment on Botox the night before last. I say 'another' because Botox documentaries are popping up on New Zealand television with alarming regularity. Is it because 'everybody' is doing Botox or is it because the Botox industry is doing a brilliant job of influencing public opinion?

A common theme of these documentaries is that everybody is doing it and if you're not, you're just not with it. The presenters usually keep a wry tone of scepticism, but the people they interview are gorgeous, smiling and very into it - the pro-messages and visuals, balanced by the journalists resigned cynicism, are a very powerful influence technique because it gives the illusion of balance.

Cut to the lone anti-Botox brigade and its a frumpy middle aged woman saying we should age gracefully. Yeah right. Sorry, couldn't help but see the hands of a very good PR company in this documentary. For example, did the presenter travel to New York on company money? I would love to know.

Some superficial research shows that public relations companies are indeed the main movers in the Botox industry. Med Ed public relations agency has just been awarded the contract, according to PR News, by Botox makers Allergan. The agency refused to confirm or deny - why?

Don't get me wrong. I work in the PR industry myself and I always admire good influence tactics, but something about this just doesn't sit well with me for some reason.

The way documentary segments on television are making out that anybody not doing Botox is not in the 'in-crowd', that 'everybody' is doing it and then repeating this message on a regular basis raises alarm bells about New Zealand journalism more than it does about the PR industry. They're doing their job - utilising tactics like 'social proof' (the everybody is doing it thing), delivering messages with just the right amount of scepticism to give the illusion of balance, and then repeating regularly... Sounds like a recipe for success to me.