When was the last time an advertisement made you think?
Was it a billboard? A commercial? A print ad? A social media status update? Regardless of the medium, the ad made you think. It changed your perception. It disrupted your previous thought.
What’s making us think these days? Here are five powerful public service announcements that inspire us.
Throughout the past few years, Always has initiated powerful conversations with their “Like a Girl” campaign. In previous ads, Always challenged stereotypes of what it means to run like a girl, fight like a girl and throw like a girl as well as the limitations girls face as they grow up. In anticipation of the Rio 2016 Olympics, Always has launched their third installment of the “Like a Girl” series. This time, Always encourages girls to keep playing, despite what the boys say. Feel inspired yet?
2. Drugged Driving – Colorado Department of Transporation
In this clever PSA, the Colorado Department of Transportation informs viewers about the dangers of driving buzzed by testing their reaction time. Did you catch the “skip ad” button?
3. Sexual Consent – Thames Valley Police
In their efforts to educate on sexual consent, the Thames Valley Police are turning to tea. This thought-provoking PSA demonstrates various scenarios and levels of consent. Sometimes, consent is clear. For instance, if you ask someone if they want a cup of tea and they say “yes,” then it is clear that they want to drink tea. But there are some circumstances where consent isn’t always as clear. For example, if someone isn’t sure they want tea or said yes to tea, but when the tea came, they changed their mind. In these cases, the Thames Valley Police advise that you don’t make that person drink a cup of tea.
4. Enough SAID – Michigan Women’s Foundation
In 2009, more than 11,000 untested rape kits were found in a Detroit Police Department storage unit. Enough SAID (Enough Sexual Assault in Detroit) was formed to raise money to test each kit as well as to investigate and prosecute each crime. Together, we created a commanding campaign that not only raises awareness and encourages change, but is award winning to boot.
What ads gave you a new perception? Tell us in the comments below.
The Michigan Women’s
The Michigan Women’s Foundation ad struck a chord with me more than the others. The specific personal story broke my heart and then I got more upset after hearing this case is only 1 of more than 11,000 with untested rape kits. Change needs to happen!