Advertising, in its non-commercial guise, is a powerful educational tool capable of reaching and motivating large audiences. According to “Father of Advertising” David Ogilvy, his contemporary, Howard Gossage, said “advertising justifies its existence when used in the public interest – it is much too powerful a tool to use solely for commercial purposes.”
Public service advertising reached its height during World Wars I and II under the direction of more than one government. Here we have collated some of the most creative and brilliant public interest ads. Can you get the message from these ads too?
Global Action In The Interest of Animals: Plastic Bags Kill
Advertising Agency: BBDO Malaysia, MALAYSIA, Kuala Lumpur / Advertising Agency: Duval Guillaume, Belgium
World Wide Fund For Nature: Frightening vs. More Frightening
Advertising Agency: DDB&CO., Istanbul, Turkey
Your Skin Color Shouldn’t Dictate Your Future
Advertising Agency: Publicis Conseil, Paris, France
Deforestation Continues With The Turn Of A Page
Advertising Agency: LINKSUS, Beijing, China
Terrorism-related deaths since 2001: 11,377. Tobacco-related deaths since 2001: 30,000,000
Unhate
Advertising Agency: Fabrica, Italy
Elm Grove Police Department: Slower Is Better
Advertising Agency: Cramer-Krasselt, Milwaukee, USA
Save Paper – Save The Planet
Advertising Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi, Copenhagen, Denmark
Air Pollution Kills 60.000 People A Year
Advertising Agency: unknown
Liking Isn’t Helping. Be A Volunteer. Change A Life
Advertising Agency: Publicis, Singapore
Bird Conservation: If You Don’t Pick It Up They Will
Advertising Agency: TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris, Johannesburg, South Africa
What We See When You Smoke
Advertising Agency: JWT, Atlanta, USA
Animal Anti-Cruelty League: That’s Not A Football
Advertising Agency: Lowe Bull, Cape Town, South Africa
Bangalore Traffic Police: Don’t Talk While Driving
Advertising Agency: Mudra Group, India
Child Soldiers: It’s Not Happening Here, But It’s Happening Now
Creative/Art director Pius Walker, Amnesty International, Switzerland.
If you don’t help feed them, who will? Please call Concordia Children’s.
Torture Victims Are People Just Like You And Me
Advertising Agency: Advico Y&R, Zurich, Switzerland
Stop The Violence: Don’t Drink And Drive
Advertising Agency: Terremoto Propaganda, Curitiba, Brazil
Premature Ending: “If you smoke, statistically your story will end 15% before it should.”
“THE END. If you smoke, statistically your story will end 15% before it should. For help with quiting call QUITTLINE on 0200 00 22 00″ (Advertising Agency: Iris, London, UK)
You can lose more than your patience.
Censorship Tells The Wrong Story
Advertising Agency: Memac Ogilvy & Mather Dubai, UAE
Distracted Driving: Think Of Both Sides
Advertising Agency: Red Pepper, Ekaterinburg, Russia
Every 60 Seconds a Species Dies Out. Each Minute Counts
Advertising Agency: Scholz & Friends, Berlin, Germany
Innocence In Danger: Where’s The Pedophile?
Art Director: Michael Arguello, Copywriter: Bassam Tariq, Additional credits: Jason Musante
Sexual Predators Can Hide In Your Child’s Smartphone
Advertising Agency: Herezie, Paris, France
Smoking Causes Premature Aging
Advertising Agency: Euro RSCG Australia
You’re Not A Sketch. Say No To Anorexia
Advertising Agency: Revolution Brasil
Neglected Children Are Made To Feel Invisible. Stop Child Abuse Now
“To dramatize the issue of neglect, we placed mannequins dressed as children behind billposters. When the inevitable happened, we revealed a second message.” (Australian Childhood Foundation, JWT Melbourne)
What Goes Around Comes Around. Keep The Sea Clean
Advertising Agency: JWT, Dubai, UAE
Tailgating Isn’t Worth It. Give Trucks Room
Advertising Agency: Amélie Company, Denver, Colorado, USA
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society: When You See A Tuna, Think Panda
Advertising Agency: Ogilvy & Mather, Singapore
Sleepiness Is Stronger Than You. Don’t Drive Sleepy
Advertising Agency: BBDO Bangkok, Thailand
See how easy feeding the hungry can be?
Advertising Agency: TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris, Johannesburg, South Africa
Causing Cancer By Yourself
Advertising Agency: Dentsu, Beijing, China
Breast Cancer Awareness Bra
Advertising Agency: Bolero, Fortaleza, Brazil
What Goes Around Comes Around: Stop The Iraq War
Advertising Agency: Big Ant International, New York, USA
UN Women: Auto-Complete Shows Perceptions Of Women
Advertising Agency: Ogilvy & Mather, Dubai, UAE
Don’t Buy Exotic Animal Souvenirs
Advertising Agency: LOWE GGK, Warsaw, Poland
Animal Abuse And Shelters: Same Pet, Different Owner
Advertising Agency: TBWA-Santiago Mangada Puno, Philippines
Buckle up. Stay alive
Advertising Agency: Lg2, Quebec, Canada
Deforestation And The Air We Breathe: Before It’s Too Late
Advertising Agency: TBWA\PARIS, France
For The Homeless, Every Day Is A Struggle
Advertising Agency: Clemenger BBDO, Melbourne, Australia
The Prevention Beer Mug: Please Don’t Lose Control Over Your Drinking
Advertising Agency: EURORSCG Prague, Czech Republic
One Child Is Holding Something That’s Been Banned In America To Protect Them. Guess Which One?
Advertising Agency: Grey, Toronto, Canada
THIS is advertising. Share these powerful messages with others.