How an Ad Agency Created a Jaw-Dropping Fake Graduation to Protest Gun Violence

On a sunny day in early June, David Keene, board member and former president of the National Rifle Association, thinks he is delivering a graduation speech to a high school in Las Vegas. Dressed in a black cap and gown with a bright yellow sash, he stands at a podium and tells the students of…

Czech Authorities Want Speeders to Stop Trying to Make Up for Lost Time on Its Roads

The numbers are sobering: A full 86% of Czech drivers regularly exceed the speed limit, according to the country’s police, with more than a third of high-speed accidents ending in death. In a bid to make Czechs think twice about their sometimes erratic driving habits, a campaign and documentary have been launched showing the devastating…

PSA Shows How Bad Listening Habits Can Make Headphones Dangerous

Most of us have seen the advertisements for those ostensibly cutting-edge headphones. As the camera slowly pans over sleek finishes, the bass pounds through inarguably hype music to emphasize the product’s pristine sound, offering an experience so immersive– or, well, loud–that one can only succumb to the moment. Sounds like the dream, right? Well, it…

Ad Council PSAs Highlight Struggles, Joys of #Dadication in Unscripted Campaign

When his daughter falls off her bike, Durrell will be there to catch her. It’s not the experience he had as a kid, but he’s rewriting history for the next generation. And Joseph wants to set an example for his children, overcoming his drug addiction and inspiring them to dream big. Those are a few…

Vikings Teach Danish Cyclists Why They Should Wear Helmets in This PSA

The Danes love their bikes, with the World Economic Forum claiming the city of Copenhagen to be the world’s most cycle-friendly city in the world in 2018. Helmet wearing has never been a popular element of the activity, leading to many cycling fatalities each year in the country. To counter this problem, the Danish Road…

This Heartbreaking Love Story Calls for More Organ Donors in Argentina

There are many ways to spread awareness for special causes: You can hire a famous spokesperson to ask the nation for help, or turn to social media and hope for a viral moment that emphasizes your purpose. For one non-profit organization in Argentina, heart-wrenching storytelling and cinematic imagery are the tools of choice in order…

‘The Kids Are Not Alright’ in Sandy Hook Promise’s New PSAs About the Remote Schooling Era

Communities around the country are slowly reopening, but the trauma of the past year’s global pandemic is likely to linger even as quarantine lifts, especially for young people whose anxiety levels skyrocketed under lockdown. Sandy Hook Promise, a nonprofit group with a mission to prevent school shootings, has created a new series of PSAs that…

Sir John Hegarty on the Value of Cinema, and What We Lose When It Goes Dark

LONDON–The future of some cinema chains hangs in the balance as venues are forced to close or limit customer numbers due to the coronavirus pandemic and major movies are delayed. Just last week, Cineworld, which owns Regal in the U.S, announced the temporary closure of all its venues throughout America and in the U.K, with…

Sandy Hook Promise’s ‘Back-to-School Essentials’ Wins Emmy for Outstanding Commercial

Sandy Hook Promise’s “Back-to-School Essentials” has won the Emmy Awards’ Outstanding Commercial honor for 2020, beating nominated ads from Apple, Jeep, Amazon and P&G. The stark, harrowing PSA for the school violence-prevention charity was created by longtime agency partner BBDO New York. The 60-second spot darkly flips the excitement of back-to-school preparations on its head,…

United Nations Enlists Parkour Pro in Anti-Pollution PSA

LONDON–Most people know what air pollution is and that it can have serious implications for the environment, global warming and human health. But it’s quite hard to picture the noxious, mostly translucent gases in a tangible way. To bring the dangers of air pollution into focus, AMV BBDO in London has created a new digital…

This Ad About Animals in Captivity Will Cast Your Lockdown Frustrations in a New Light

LONDON–Engine, a London-based agency, has found a clever way to make captive animals relatable–by taking people’s frustrations about life in lockdown and putting their words into the mouths of caged, animated creatures. Called “Creature Discomforts: Life in Lockdown” the ad, created for wildlife charity the Born Free Foundation, uses real interviews with people from during…

This ‘Broken’ Typeface Symbolizes the Language Barriers Many New Yorkers Face

Many of us take the ability to read for granted, but a good number of adults in the U.S. struggle to do so. According to the nonprofit Literacy Partners, roughly 18% of New York residents do not speak English proficiently, making it difficult for them to read everyday documents and messages. Working with The&Partnership’s New…

Bill Nye, Billie Eilish and More Rally Support for the Planet in World Environment Day PSA

Bill Nye, the hands-on scientist and TV host who’s equally well known these days for his environmental activism, continues to sound the alarm on climate change in a new PSA for the United Nations. Staying fully on brand, he doesn’t mince words in this short film. “Nature is showing us that humankind is on the…

Lego Batman’s New Nemesis is Covid-19 as the Brand Launches a PSA Campaign for Kids

Lego Batman, more accustomed to solo battles against the Joker, Scarecrow and Harley Quinn, is ready to take on “a dude named Covid.” And he needs a hand from kids everywhere. That’s the message of a new PSA starring the wise-cracking toy version of the Caped Crusader, who learns during the video short that Covid…

Droga5 and Meek Mill Amplify the Voices of Prisoners Facing Covid-19 Risks Behind Bars

Droga5 has used the voices of real prisoners in a powerful new campaign to raise awareness of the coronavirus risk to inmates living in communal conditions for the Reform Alliance. “Answer Their Call” aims to sound the alarm that Covid-19 can “turn a prison sentence into a death sentence” for inmates who say they are…

Doctors Subtly Become Superheroes in This Inspired Poster Campaign

McCann Belgrade has reimagined doctors and nurses as superheroes in a new outdoor campaign that uses a simple and subtle visual to thank healthcare professionals for their efforts during the coronavirus crisis. The series of three posters, created by the agency’s head of art, Lidija Milovanovic, shows portraits of medical workers with pressure marks on…

This Child Safety PSA Can Be Washed, Folded and Seen Every Week

One of the many issues that arise when raising children is the use of booster seats in vehicles. There are clear laws and instructions regarding when a child should be using the seat. While age and weight play a role, height is the primary indicator of when a child restraint should be used. Yet, as…

Advertising Pros Band Together to Create This Touching #StayHome PSA With the Ad Council

One thing the coronavirus crisis has taught us is that people, for the most part, want to band together and help each other. And even as lockdown has pulled millions of people apart, it has brought communities together–albeit virtually. One group of ad agency creatives wanted to help play their small part by working together,…

This PSA About Social Distancing Is the Most Effective So Far

There are many ways to visualize a pandemic, from global heat maps to the ubiquitous line charts that have accompanied the call to “flatten the curve” by limiting the spread of COVID-19. But the Ohio Department of Health and Dayton agency Real Art have found what just might be the most effective way of showing…

Agency Fancy Helps ‘Mask Match’ Link Donors With Medical Professionals in Need

For doctors and nurses on the front line of the battle against the coronavirus, the only tools they have to shield themselves against the virus are protective clothing and masks. But there is a dire shortage, and healthcare workers in the United States have taken the unprecedented step of asking the public to donate their…