"What if America wasn't America?" That was the question posed by a series of ads broadcast in the wake of the September 11th attacks, ads which depicted a dystopian America bereft of liberty: Library - Diner - Church. Together with more positive ads like Remember Freedom and I Am an American, they encouraged frightened viewers to cherish their freedoms and defend against division and prejudice in the face of terrorism (seven years previously). The campaign was the work of the Ad Council, a non-profit agency that employs the creative muscle of volunteer advertisers to raise awareness for social issues of national importance. Founded during WWII as the War Advertising Council, the organization has been behind some of the most memorable public service campaigns in American history, including Rosie the Riveter, Smokey the Bear, McGruff the Crime Dog, and the Crash Test Dummies. And the Council is still at it today, producing striking, funny, and above all effective PSAs on everything from student invention to global warming to arts education to community service.

Additional resources: A-to-Z index of Ad Council campaigns - Campaigns organized by category - Award-winning campaigns - PSA Central: A free download directory of TV, radio, and print PSAs (registration req'd) - An exhaustive history of the Ad Council [46-page PDF] - YouTube channel - Vimeo channel - Twitter feed
posted by Rhaomi on Sep 11, 2009 - 69 comments

Many TV-savvy Canadians will be familiar with the distinctive painted exclamation mark of the Concerned Children's Advertisers. For nearly 20 years, the CCA has partnered with broadcasters across the country in order to produce and air PSAs aimed at kids. This has resulted in some classic spots on such topics as drug use prevention, media literacy, and more recently a series on the importance of fitness. A personal favorite: the alternately endearing and terribly creepy Don't You Put It In Your Mouth (feat. Scary, Anemic Lion). [more inside]
posted by Monster_Zero on Aug 19, 2009 - 13 comments

Brazil's new water conservation campaign: Xixi no Banho! (slyt)
posted by Sys Rq on Aug 6, 2009 - 86 comments

PSA's from the Future
posted by Pater Aletheias on Jul 17, 2009 - 48 comments

Bleeding billboard. Yeah, that's what I said.
posted by miss lynnster on Jul 7, 2009 - 38 comments

Via The A.V. Club (which was in turn via Jezebel): Actress Keira Knightley stars in a (graphic) domestic violence PSA for the UK charity Women's Aid. Probably SFW, but may be very upsetting to watch.
posted by kittens for breakfast on Apr 2, 2009 - 56 comments

The Nine Weirdest PSAs Ever Made.
posted by gman on Feb 23, 2009 - 73 comments

Okay, this election is officially weird. Opie, Andy, Richie and the Fonz apparently want us to vote Obama. Sadly, it's missing the kind of catchy songs featured in Fonzie's other PSA (NSFW).
posted by miss lynnster on Oct 23, 2008 - 55 comments

AS OF 10/08/2008, THERE WERE OVER 80,100 PAGES ONLINE WITH THE PHRASE "That's so gay."

Hillary Duff is here to elevate teen discourse! And here's a handy printout.
How 'gay' became children's insult of choice.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur on Oct 9, 2008 - 261 comments

Don't vote.
posted by OverlappingElvis on Oct 2, 2008 - 94 comments

Better Living with the Batman & Joker Supersquad. Respect. Heavy Lifting. Bike Safety. UV Protection. Taking Time for Play. Herpes. Sexual Harassment.
posted by spec80 on Jul 31, 2008 - 22 comments

Absolutely horrifying, not for the squeamish, you've been warned Canadian public service announcements. Also, the only slightly less gory German educational film "Forklift driver Klaus". An unaired and disturbingly violent Canadian PSA on domestic violence. Graphically violent Irish PSAs warning against speeding, terrorism and Harry Chapin. A French Canadian worker slowly and gruesomely loses his arm. An Australian PSA featuring a blood-covered baby. Finally, an essay (with linked video examples) by a marketing consultant on "Turn-off Tactics" in public service advertisements.
posted by orthogonality on Apr 14, 2008 - 65 comments

Remember when TV raised us right? Time for Timer taught us about cheese, carrots, breakfast, and oral hygiene. The Abominable Snowman taught us about lunch, money, advertising, and the Food Group Disco! Woodsy Owl taught us to Give a Hoot! and keep America lookin' good! and Mr Yuk SCARED THE LIVING CRAP OUT OF US. [more inside]
posted by louche mustachio on Feb 1, 2008 - 28 comments

“If you’re a prostate cancer survivor, one of the hardest things to question is whether your treatment was worth it.”
In 2003 Professor Alan Coates, then chief executive of the Cancer Council of Australia, caused a media storm, when he suggested that based on available evidence he personally would not undergo PSA screening for prostate cancer. This month's RSM journal analyses the Australian media response in detail.
posted by roofus on Nov 29, 2007 - 43 comments

The Condom Song is a charmingly bizarre safe-sex message from India. Music and humor are often used to promote safe sex and pregnancy prevention, alternatives to shock tactics. Bangkok's safe sex theme restaurants represent a slightly more novel approach, a chain called Cabbages and Condoms. Whatever the style, condom promotion is much more mainstream than when the Golden Girls' had their first awkward encounter and British comedians tackled uncomfortable condom language. NSFW
posted by madamjujujive on Oct 28, 2007 - 30 comments

The Amazing Spider-Man and Planned Parenthood team up to thwart a baby-stealing alien who encourages young people to have unprotected sex. [Via scans_daily]
posted by Alvy Ampersand on Jul 26, 2007 - 16 comments

The Fonz & Henry Winkler teach us about sexual abuse. Yes, you read correctly.
Special appearances by John Ritter, Fred Flintstone, and a creepy singing guy in overalls.
posted by miss lynnster on Mar 1, 2007 - 51 comments

Vader Dad. "I learned it by watching you!"
posted by brownpau on Dec 13, 2006 - 21 comments

Three years prior to the Superbowl Shuffle, another group of eventual sporting champions gathered in a Los Angeles studio to bring a powerful anti-drug message to the children.
posted by jonson on Oct 11, 2006 - 13 comments

Suicide Bombing: Just Say No. Hollywood-style anti-suicide bombing PSA now in heavy rotation on Iraqi TV. Previously discussed here before the spot was finished.
posted by CunningLinguist on Aug 18, 2006 - 57 comments

How close does a motorcyclist have to be before you see them? [link is qt video] As was recommended by the original poster, put down any beverage; this will probably startle you. (from livejournal's motorcyles community) [you bet there's more inside!]
posted by Eideteker on Feb 2, 2006 - 137 comments

Tips from the Blue Devils - Dunking the ball is a flashy move. In some instances, it can be the wrong move. Pot and cocaine are wrong moves. They mess up your thinking and can kill you instantly.
posted by sdrawkcab on Jan 25, 2006 - 41 comments

One dry scotch pine tree, plus one string of old christmas lights, has the potential to add up to a really bad day. [qt] This can happen after a tree has been drying for three weeks or so. [pdf] So please - keep them watered!
posted by icosahedral on Nov 30, 2005 - 30 comments

Teenage Mum. A public information film for the gaming generation (embedded Quicktime movie). [via Edge]
posted by davehat on Apr 21, 2005 - 14 comments

Cursor Miner's Library (flash). [via screenhead]
posted by ulotrichous on Jan 21, 2005 - 2 comments

As the world meets in Bangkok to discuss responses to the HIV/AIDS epidemic (wow, even Richard Gere thinks it's important!), these very effective public service ads (1, 2, 3 all .mpg files) from the Stephen Lewis Foundation bring the epidemic down (or up) to an emotional level.
posted by stonerose on Jul 14, 2004 - 2 comments

You may remember Eric Fensler from his audio overdubs of old G.I. Joe PSAs. Now he and Doug Lussenhop, hired by a band to shoot some DVD extras, apply the same approach to raw video footage of slackers hanging out backstage, cops breaking up a post-gig crowd, etc.
posted by staggernation on Mar 3, 2004 - 3 comments

Hinterland Who's Who Back in the mid 1906s the Canadian government made what have now become the longest running public service annoucments ever. They're also possible the most boring, but that can't stop them from being amazingly popular. Don't forget to check out the spoofs.
posted by tiamat on Oct 21, 2003 - 35 comments

A friendly PSA from the RIAA (9mb mpg) or 5mb quicktime
posted by Espoo2 on Aug 22, 2003 - 13 comments

Remixed G.I. Joe PSAs. Chicago filmmaker Eric Fensler has taken the "Knowing Is Half the Battle" PSAs that accompanied the 1980s G.I. Joe cartoon series and replaced the audio tracks with his own. The results are utterly hilarious. (Audio NSFW.) This site only has four, but there are more out there (details inside).
posted by staggernation on Aug 12, 2003 - 31 comments

"How do you talk about domestic violence without portraying violence or having some statement about violence?" PSAs about domestic abuse developed by the Calgary-based HomeFront Society have been judged too graphic to show on television. Violent acts from actual domestic-abuse investigations are depicted in public settings: a boardroom, a restaurant. They will not be broadcast, but are available for download online (MPEG format). Warning: These ads are extremely difficult to watch. They hit you like a ton of bricks. But isn't that the point?
posted by mcwetboy on May 21, 2003 - 74 comments

US Government Support for the Fight Against HIV/AIDS is an overview from the State Department of funding and programs directed towards international AIDS prevention and treatment. World AIDS Day was proclaimed by the President. The special CDC site focuses on the stigma and discrimination of AIDS that creates impediments to fighting the disease. The National Institutes of Health launch AIDSInfo on December 2, combining prior resources. USAID notes its own programs and accomplishments. The US Surgeon General notes the impact on persons of color. Housing and Urban Development looks at housing opportunities. And the Department of Veterans Affairs provides more AIDS care than any other single agency. The NIH Drug Abuse office has its own information site, including notes on the perhaps ineptly, perhaps tellingly PSA spot series titled "Jack and Jill".
posted by dhartung on Dec 1, 2002 - 1 comment

I know it's all about anti-tobacco, but I still don't get their television commercials. Their website is hella phat, though.
posted by SilentSalamander on Dec 6, 2000 - 43 comments

Rhino Records' anti-Napster PSAs are hilarious. Almost makes you want to stop using napster ("it's just not cool").
posted by mathowie on Oct 27, 2000 - 2 comments