Advertisements can be annoying and intrusive. But it’s not the case of social ads that motivate people to think and worry about various social and environmental issues.
Howard Gossage, a contemporary of “Father of Advertising” David Ogilvy, said that “advertising justifies its existence when used in the public interest – it is much too powerful a tool to use solely for commercial purposes.”
Below we present some of powerful social ads reaching the level of art. They are excellent examples of effective advertising strategies that let the voices be heard. Although a few of these ads have, in fact, commercial character, they express important social issues. (H/t: Boredpanda)
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Torture Victims Are People Just Like You And Me
Advertising agency: Advico Y&R, Zurich, Switzerland
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Stop the Violence: Don’t Drink and Drive
Advertising agency: Terremoto Propaganda, Curitiba, Brazil
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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)
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World Wide Fund for Nature: Frightening vs. More Frightening
Advertising agency: DDB&CO., Istanbul, Turkey
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Your Skin Color Shouldn’t Dictate Your Future
Advertising agency: Publicis Conseil, Paris, France
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Deforestation Continues with the Turn of a Page
Advertising agency: LINKSUS, Beijing, China
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Unhate
Advertising agency: Fabrica, Italy
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Elm Grove Police Department: Slower Is Better
Advertising agency: Cramer-Krasselt, Milwaukee, USA
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Save Paper – Save the Planet
Advertising agency: Saatchi & Saatchi, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Air Pollution Kills 60.000 People a Year
Advertising agency: unknown
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Liking Isn’t Helping. Be a Volunteer. Change a Life
Advertising agency: Publicis, Singapore
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Bird Conservation: If You Don’t Pick It up They Will
Advertising agency: TBWAHuntLascaris, Johannesburg, South Africa
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What We See When You Smoke
Advertising agency: JWT, Atlanta, USA
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Animal Anti-Cruelty League: That’s Not a Football
Advertising agency: Lowe Bull, Cape Town, South Africa
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Bangalore Traffic Police: Don’t Talk While Driving
Advertising agency: Mudra Group, India
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Child Soldiers: It’s Not Happening Here, But It’s Happening Now
Creative/Art director Pius Walker, Amnesty International, Switzerland
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Censorship Tells the Wrong Story
Advertising agency: Memac Ogilvy & Mather Dubai, UAE
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Distracted Driving: Think of Both Sides
Advertising agency: Red Pepper, Ekaterinburg, Russia
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Every 60 Seconds a Species Dies Out. Each Minute Counts
Advertising agency: Scholz & Friends, Berlin, Germany
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Innocence in Danger: Where’s the Pedophile?
Art Director: Michael Arguello, Copywriter: Bassam Tariq, Additional credits: Jason Musante
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Sexual Predators Can Hide in Your Child’s Smartphone
Advertising agency: Herezie, Paris, France
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Smoking Causes Premature Aging
Advertising agency: Euro RSCG Australia
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You’re Not a Sketch. Say No to Anorexia
Advertising agency: Revolution Brasil
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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)
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Global Action in the Interest of Animals: Plastic Bags Kill
Advertising agency: BBDO Malaysia, MALAYSIA, Kuala Lumpur / advertising agency: Duval Guillaume, Belgium
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What Goes Around Comes Around. Keep the Sea Clean
Advertising agency: JWT, Dubai, UAE
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Tailgating Isn’t Worth It. Give Trucks Room
Advertising agency: Amélie Company, Denver, Colorado, USA
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Sea Shepherd Conservation Society: When You See a Tuna, Think Panda
Advertising agency: Ogilvy & Mather, Singapore
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Sleepiness Is Stronger than You. Don’t Drive Sleepy
Advertising agency: BBDO Bangkok, Thailand
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See How Easy Feeding the Hungry Can Be?
Advertising agency: TBWAHuntLascaris, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Causing Cancer by Yourself
Advertising agency: Dentsu, Beijing, China
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Deforestation and the Air We Breathe: Before It’s Too Late
Advertising agency: TBWAPARIS, France
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For the Homeless, Every Day Is a Struggle
Advertising agency: Clemenger BBDO, Melbourne, Australia
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The Prevention Beer Mug: Please Don’t Lose Control over Your Drinking
Advertising agency: EURORSCG Prague, Czech Republic
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One Child Is Holding Something That’s Been Banned in America to Protect Them. Guess Which One?
Advertising agency: Grey, Toronto, Canada
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Breast Cancer Awareness Bra
Advertising agency: Bolero, Fortaleza, Brazil
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What Goes Around Comes Around: Stop the Iraq War
Advertising agency: Big Ant International, New York, USA
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UN Women: Auto-Complete Shows Perceptions of Women
Advertising agency: Ogilvy & Mather, Dubai, UAE
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Don’t Buy Exotic Animal Souvenirs
Advertising agency: LOWE GGK, Warsaw, Poland
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Animal Abuse and Shelters: Same Pet, Different Owner
Advertising agency: TBWA-Santiago Mangada Puno, Philippines
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Buckle Up. Stay Alive
Advertising agency: Lg2, Quebec, Canada
Source: Weirderesting
