Public Service Announcements
What is a PSA?
• The American Ad Council defines PSAs as
“advertising that serves the public interest.”
• The objective of a public service announcement is
to educate and create awareness of significant
social issues in an effort to change the public’s
attitudes and behaviors and stimulate positive
social change.
• PSAs are usually developed by non-profit
organizations and may involve TV and radio spots,
movie content, and print messages on billboards,
posters, brochures and postcards.
Qualities of a Good PSA
• are relevant to their audience
• are interesting or entertaining
• leave the audience with a message that can be
summarized in a single declarative sentence
• demand an action or response from the audience
• can be easily adapted for different media
• use the strengths of each medium to build a
message
Examples of PSAs
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Car safety
Texting
Drugs
Drinking
Huffing
Bullying
Gangs
Cheating
PSA approaches….Advantages and
Disadvantages
• Humor
– catches your attention, especially for kids and teens, but humor
may trivialize serious issues.
• Shock treatment
– Provides a realistic look at an issue, but may turn people off
entirely. Also, broadcasters may be reluctant to broadcast PSAs
they feel may be too controversial.
• Preaching
– There’s a fine line between earnestness and appearing to be
patronizing.
• Using a celebrity
– Celebrities do get favorable attention, but sometimes people
are so distracted by the celebrity they forget the message.
Examples of the Shock Effects
Approach
Before and After
This three-dimensional billboard
shows an actual crashed car
Shock Effects Analysis
1. What is the main message for each campaign?
2. What are the similarities and differences between these
two campaigns?
3. Which of these is most effective in illustrating the dangers
of drunk driving? Why?
4. Would either of these PSAs influence you personally? Why
or why not?
5. Jacquie’s poster is an example of using extreme shock
value to get a message across. As we discussed earlier, a
downside of using shocking elements is that they can be
so disconcerting that people are repelled from the ad and
the message. Do you think this poster is an effective or
ineffective use of shock value?
Examples of the Humor
Approach
The small print for “Absolute End” reads: “Nearly 50% of automobile fatalities are
linked to alcohol. 10% of North Americans are alcoholics. A teenager sees 100,000
alcohol ads before reaching the legal drinking age.”
Humor Analysis
• Who do you think is the target audience for
these ads?
• What assumptions do they make about their
target audience?
• What is the main message of each ad?
• Are they effective? Why or why not?
• Is humor an appropriate tool for addressing
these issues?
Examples of Using a Serious
Approach
This PSA, produced by MADD and FACE, reads: “Assault. Burns. Drowning. Car
crashes. Rape. Suicides. Alcohol Poisoning. You can die from drinking too much. You
can also drown, get burned, get in a fight, get raped, fall off a balcony or end up in a
wheelchair. Stop drinking fast and hard. Don’t let good times turn bad.”
This campaign is distributed every May and June in Canada. The caption
reads: “Your prom should be memorable – for all the right reasons. You know you
don’t need to drink to have fun. Plan ahead and make smart choices. Don’t let
drinking flush your prom night down the drain.”
Another ad from MADD and FACE, this poster reads: “The last thing you
remember is dancing. How you got here is pretty much a blur. You went to a
party, drank way too much and aren’t really sure where you’re going now.
Who is this guy anyway? It started out fun, but now it doesn’t feel so great.
Next time – stay at the party if you want, dance, get to know the guy – but
lighten up on the alcohol. Take care of the girl in the mirror.”
Serious Approach PSA Analysis
• Do any of these ads cross the fine line between
seriousness and preaching? If they do, explain
how.
• What is the target audience for each?
• What techniques are used to appeal to the target
audience?
• Which are most effective? Why?
• Which are least effective? Why?
• Would any of these messages influence your own
decisions regarding alcohol?