Public service announcements have changed quite a bit since I was a kid in the 80’s. Back then they mostly consisted of some cartoon character (GI Joe was huge on this, as you probably remember) telling me to stay off drugs and in school, but now there seems to be a race towards the extreme when it comes to how shocking ad agencies can make a PSA. The goal is to make a lasting memory and agencies seem to be doing this by either horrifying us or grossing us out (often both). Here are some of the most shocking PSA’s of all time:
The Montana Meth Project
The Montana Meth Project consists of print and outdoor advertising as well as commercial spots directed by well known directors such as Tony Kaye (American History X), Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream), and Alejandro González Iñárritu (Babel). The group was founded by billionaire Thomas Siebel and has had great success. Since the campaign was started teen meth use is down 45% and adult meth use has fallen by 72%. Other states with meth problems have begun running the ads, including Arizona and Illinois.
The Full Collection Of Montana Meth Project Print Ads
The Full Collection Of Montana Meth Project Commercials (16 in all)
Serve Statutory Rape Ads
Statutory rape was on the rise in Milwaukee so the United Way commissioned ads with young girls heads on the bodies of adult women and the slogan “When you look at a young girl as something more you need help”. After a bit of controversy the ads were pulled.
The rest of the Serve Statutory Rape Ads
Belgium Anti-Foie Gras Campaign
This ad was actually intended to run in a Belgian tube station, but was rejected as too shocking. Foie gras is an especially popular Christmas food in Belgium.
StopLandMines.org “Soccer Mom”
If there were land mines here, would you stand for them anywhere?
The Faster You Go, The Bigger The Mess
Not as graphically shocking as some of the others here, but the voice over is quite devastating. This campaign is from New Zealand.
Sex Slave
Emma Thompson stars in this PSA targetting sex slavery entitled “I Am Elena”. Thompson narrates in two different voices, an innocent girl, and an abused prostitute (who turn out to be one and the same). Thompson has been involved with this cause for years through the Helen Bamber Foundation.
Ontario WSIB Workplace Safety Ads
The Canadian Workplace Safety and Insurance Board created these intense, visceral ads to combat what they felt was a general lack of knowledge of workplace safety hazards. Five Canadians die every day in a work related accident, and the WSIB felt it was an issue receiving little attention. They may have gone overboard with this series of ads however, with many people complaining that they were inappropriate for small children. Initially the ads were only going to be run in the evening, but they were expanded and shown during such events as nationally televised hockey games. These ads are some of the most gut wrenching you’ll ever see mostly because of the high level of realism.
The full collection of WSIB Workplace Safety Ads
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That was a kickass article. What do I do now?
17 responses so far ↓
Bing // Apr 29, 2008 at 11:43 am
You should check out the CCHR PSAs. Especially the one of the kid picking up his perscription: by far the most powerful PSA I’ve ever seen.
Anfrew Ferguson // Apr 29, 2008 at 12:51 pm
Here’s two more that were left out;
A recent campaign by MTV (possibly in Spain? I’m fuzzy on details) about AIDS among heterosexual women - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHgTj9rcK2c
and
One that will be familiar to any Canadian, the MADD spot entitled ‘Saturday Night’ - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJioThULY7M
Brent // Apr 29, 2008 at 2:27 pm
Jesus. The New Zealand anti-speeding spot just about made me physically ill.
I think I’ll be slowing down a little from now on
Nathan // Apr 29, 2008 at 5:40 pm
Have a look at this one, which equates the exposure of children to second-hand smoke with child abuse. It doesn’t really “count” for inclusion here because I think it was deemed too upsetting to be used anywhere.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNOb1A-7Sh8
More information can be found here.
http://p0ps.typepad.com/p0ps_blog/2007/05/parental_smokin.html
Dingle // Apr 30, 2008 at 8:57 am
My dick smells of shit and vinegar due to its insertion in your butt.
Mike // Apr 30, 2008 at 9:03 am
Nothing will beat the WSB psa’s… I don’t know a single person who hasn’t seen and remembered at least 1 of them from the past 6 months. The kitchen oil accident is by far the worst, but by far the most preventable.
TVSpy // Apr 30, 2008 at 10:10 am
The Foie Gras and Meth ads were the most startling, the meth ad because it reminds you of the ending of Requiem for a Dream and the Foie Gras because it just shows how bad they’re treated.
ananon // Apr 30, 2008 at 10:14 am
agree^
the WSIB ads are nothing less than chilling,, but they can only do more good, if they continue to run and expand..
I would like to see that
ananon // Apr 30, 2008 at 10:19 am
Bing—
those CCHR ads are nothing at all on par with the above..
remember that, clam head.
Where are the facts?
random guy // Apr 30, 2008 at 6:08 pm
Sydney, Australia is not in New Zealand
Haha // Apr 30, 2008 at 7:31 pm
@TVSPY
Are you serious, people are upset about Foie Gras, you know it’s just a duck right? Try looking into cow slaughterhouses.
Jeff // Apr 30, 2008 at 8:48 pm
@Haha
Just a duck?
cruelty is cruelty whether it be duck goat cow mouse fish
decet // May 1, 2008 at 4:51 pm
Let’s face it: If you want to bring across an important message, you have to shout louder than the ambient noise, which is quite loud already. And if you are constantly exposed to a background noise of shocking ads, news and entertainment, you need to package your message in a way more shocking than the background.
id // May 7, 2008 at 12:33 pm
This is an Irish advertisement warning drivers to slow down. “The faster the speed, the bigger the mess”. Pretty shocking but if that’s what it takes for people to wise up, so be it. I know some people would disagree but this is still running at the present time on Irish tv.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVzsMXTPop0&feature=related
marty // May 8, 2008 at 10:56 pm
I can say as a New Zealander that the speeding ad IS from NZ, it was made by an Australian Company hence the ‘Sydney’ title at the beginning.
mik // May 9, 2008 at 2:37 pm
All I can say is the patronising nature of these type of ads just makes me do the exact opposite. In fact I now go out of my way to drive fast, waste energy by switching on electrical appliances in public buildings, and sometimes I even breathe more than normal just to produce extra CO2.
juice // May 10, 2008 at 8:52 pm
I am somtimes aware of a little known stench eminating from my rectum. It smells of shit and cum.
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