Title:Home - Osocio, Social Advertising and Non-profit Campaigns
Description:Osocio - Social advertising and non-profit campaigns from around the globe
Keywords:Abuse, Health, Marketing, War, Communication, Social, Grassroots, Activism, Advertising, Environment, Human Rights, Animal Rights, Poverty, NGO, Violence, Non-profit, Road Safety, Third world, Solidarity, Design
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Home - Osocio, Social Advertising and Non-profit Campaigns
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Social advertising and non-profit campaigns from around the globe
Campaign of the Year 2010: Embrace Life - always wear your seatbelt
Posted by Marc | 7-02-2011 23:04 | Category:
Awards, Road safety
We’re proud to announce the winner of Osocio’s Campaign of 2010: Embrace Life - always wear your seatbelt. The video became an absolute hit in the Social Advertising world last year. And now it is official: we think that this is the best what was made in 2010.
The work from director Daniel Cox is part of a wider campaign from the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership (SSRP). But the video from the campaign was the big surprise for us. We wrote about it for the first time a year ago, in January. Now it is viewed 13,293,485 times on YouTube.
Jury member Tim Nudd:
The whole safe-driving category is full of blood and guts and scare tactics. #8220;Embrace Life #8221; beautifully goes in the other direction, artfully and poignantly making the point that you should wear a seatbelt because you want to live #8212;not because you don #8217;t want to die. It #8217;s one of the most touching and compelling PSAs I #8217;ve ever seen, and an overwhelming viral success. What more could you want from a social campaign?
Jury member Nedra Kline Weinreich:
The Embrace Life ad is one of my favorite examples to show when I talk about how to bring emotion into your message. Through a combination of a family scene that many can connect with, bringing in the strong underlying value of protecting and being protected by your family, with the drama heightened by the music, this ad makes me tear up every time I see it. It’s also a great example of how to use a positive message to promote traffic safety rather than the graphic blood-and-guts approach that turns many people off.
Jury member Tom Megginson:
Embrace Life had no shock, no clever reveal, and the special effects were just a slow motion camera. But by drawing the viewer into an authentic emotional connection between a man and his family, it communicated one simple message: you should wear your seatbelt because you want to live for them, and because they want you to live. I #8217;m a father, and it literally brought tears to my eyes the first time I watched it. That doesn #8217;t happen often.
The campaign has scooped a wide range of awards, including YouTube Ad of the Year, a Prince Michael International Road Safety Award, Gold World Medal, New York International Advertising Awards; a Bronze Lion at the Cannes International Advertising Awards; Highly Commended from the Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportation and the advert was also featured in the Advertising Producers Award (APA) 2010 collection.
Global support for the campaign has been high - especially through Twitter and Facebook, where one viewer was moved to create a group dedicated to getting the campaign on TV.
We did an interview last year with Neil Hopkins, the Communications Manager from SSRP. Read it here.
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Mock PSAs mock the wrong people
Posted by Tom Megginson | 7-02-2011 19:23 | Category:
Corporate Social Responsibility
Groupon, the online group discount provider, managed to deal its brand a potential death blow with this parody of a PSA about Tibet, aired during the Super Bowl:
The stiff acting, the awkward production, and the sudden change to a blatant product promotion were intended as a joke. But few people took it as such. Almost as soon as the 30-second spot aired, Twitter lit up with complaints and outrage. Today, both blogs and mainstream media are questioning how a brand that was once called #8220;The Next Google #8221; — and their agency, CP+B — could get it so wrong.
And it was wrong. Especially since the campaign itself was supposed to be about corporate social responsibility:
#8220;Since we grew out of a collective action and philanthropy site (ThePoint.com) and ended up selling coupons, we loved the idea of poking fun at ourselves by talking about discounts as a noble cause. So we bought the spots, hired mockumentary expert Christopher Guest to direct them, enlisted some celebrity faux-philanthropists, and plopped down three Groupon ads before, during, and after the biggest American football game in the world.
You can view the already aired commercials, as well as new ones as we release them, at SaveTheMoney.org . And if you’ve saved enough money for yourself and feel like saving something else, you can donate to mission-driven organizations that are doing great work for the causes featured in our PSA parodies. If you guys pony up, Groupon will contribute matching donations of up to $100,000 for three featured charities – Rainforest Action Network, buildOn, and the Tibet Fund — and Groupon credit of up to $100,000 for contributions made to Greenpeace. #8221;
This context was completely lost on football fans, and viewers in general. The ad was part of a series directed by American filmmaker Christopher Guest, most famous for his involvement in #8220;mockumentaries #8221; such as This is Spinal Tap, Best in Show, and A Mighty Wind. But all the clever intent — to make fun of the company #8217;s roots, to lampoon its own commercialization, to parody actors who lend their names to pet causes — was for nothing. Countless people who were unaware of the campaign #8217;s background and not in on the joke took the ad seriously, and wondered how such a stupid spot could be produced for a single $3 million placement. Others saw it as a mean-spirited poke at the Tibetan cause, and those who support it. And the CSR is completely overwhelmed by the backlash.
What did you think of the ad? Were you offended, amused, or just annoyed?
Two more ads from the campaign — making fun of deforestation and declining whale populations — after the break.
Advertiser:
Groupon
Agency:
CP+B Group
Source:
Work That Matters
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Pick up the football, put down the porn
Posted by Tom Megginson | 6-02-2011 15:36 | Category:
Religion
It #8217;s Super Bowl Sunday. Everyone knows that. But you may not know that it is also Porn Sunday.
Porn Sunday is an initiative of Las Vegas pastor Craig Gross, of XXXCHURCH.COM (also known as #8220;X3").
X3 is a faith-based crusade to help men (and women) get over addiction to pornography, which is a personal mission for Gross. He calls it #8220;The #1 most destructive force in our culture #8221;, and following Christian tradition he ministers to the fallen. He is known for attending adult industry conventions and distributing Bibles to the performers with his message that #8221;Jesus Loves Porn Stars #8221;. CNN reports that he also ministers to convicted child pornographers in prison.
embed
The purpose of National Porn Sunday, according to X3, is to raise awareness about the issue and challenge men to quit consuming pornography on game day. Gross recruited some NFL players to produce an infomercial-length PSA:
National Porn Sunday Talk from XXXchurch on Vimeo.
X3 also offers several products to help porn addicts quit, including internet browser monitoring software, online seminars, and branded merchandise.
Yes, it #8217;s weird. And perhaps uniquely American in its love-hate relationship with sexuality, and the the commercial style of its religion. But the man has a genuine fire in his belly:
#8220;Any Christian man or woman who is engaging in sexual immorality of any kind is a person in conflict. Often it starts by viewing pseudo-pornography-things like modeling sites, chat sites, personal homepages, and other sites that often contain seductive images, but may not be classified as pornography.
Very quickly this kind of online behavior can spiral down to a place where these images don #8217;t cut it anymore. At this point the viewer begins to #8220;need #8221; more intense images to be stimulated. Often you will hear someone who has gotten addicted say, #8216;I have no idea how I got here; it started so innocently. #8217; Pornography is both very alluring and very addictive. Sexual addiction along with pornography addiction are issues that face many people these days. The websites that are distributing the material are designed to draw in the viewer, dangle free content and easy sign-ups-in an attempt to capture a new user.
...
If your life is being controlled by your sexual desires and activities, instead of YOU being in control of them, then you have a sexual addiction. Studies have shown that ninety-nine percent of all masturbation involves lust and mental fantasy, which disconnects you from real relationships with real people.
If you sent a bottle of vodka to every home in America every week for a year, you would no doubt have a whole wave of alcoholics. The Internet has created a wave of pornography addicts with its pervasive porn delivery mechanism. #8221;
More videos after the break.
Advertiser:
XXXCHURCH.COM
Source:
CNN
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I #8217;m not buying it
Posted by Tom Megginson | 4-02-2011 22:10 | Category:
Abuse
If you haven #8217;t yet figured it out, with the escalating talk of football and epic ad spends (and bans), The Super Bowl is fast approaching. But this year there #8217;s a new conversation in the air that I had not heard before: human trafficking.
(Reuters) - Pimps will traffic thousands of under-age prostitutes to Texas for Sunday #8217;s Super Bowl, hoping to do business with men arriving for the big game with money to burn, child rights advocates said.
As the country #8217;s largest sporting event, the game between the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers will make the Dallas-Fort Worth area a magnet for business of all kinds.
That includes the multimillion dollar, under-age sex industry, said activists and law enforcement officials working to combat what they say is an annual spike in trafficking of under-age girls ahead of the Super Bowl.
#8220;The Super Bowl is one of the biggest human trafficking events in the United States, #8221; Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott told a trafficking prevention meeting in January.
One of the leaders in this campaign is Traffick911, a Fort Worth, Texas, faith-based not-for-profit that has started a petition on Change.org to demand that the NFL do something about the underage sex trafficking expected to happen around the event. They #8217;ve also launched the #8220;I #8217;m not buying it #8221; campaign:
(Natalie Grant is a Christian music singer)
Campaign materials( in English and Spanish) include posters, PSAs, cards for frontline responders, door hangers for #8220;high-risk neighborhoods #8221; and even a prayer guide.
The campaign has gained quite a bit of press and blog coverage, and Dallas Cowboy Jay Ratliff has gotten on board.
But there are skeptics. WFFA-TV in Dallas ran an article titled #8220;Super Bowl prostitution forecast has no proof #8221; in which they report:
Similar stories about the sex trade surround almost every major sporting event — even the Olympics and the World Cup.
To investigate their validity, News 8 began checking with police departments in other cities that have also hosted the Super Bowl.
Phoenix hosted the big game three years ago. Police there told News 8 they received similar warnings about an increase in prostitution and prepared for it, but never uncovered any evidence of a spike in illegal sexual activity.
#8220;I think one of the things people automatically assume is that while you #8217;ve got influential people in town, people with significant amounts of money and therefore a whole lot of prostitution is going to follow with that, #8221; said Phoenix police spokesman Sgt. Tommy Thompson. #8220;We did not notice an increase or anything out of the ordinary. #8221;
Tampa hosted the Super Bowl in 2009. A police spokeswoman there said officers there made 11 prostitution arrests during the entire week leading up to the game.
And last year, Miami police told News 8 they arrested 14 for prostitution.
Those figures are not uncommon for large cities during a seven-day period, experts said.
Last year, Canada debunked similar hype about prostitutes around the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. British Columbia funded a study which concluded that #8220;sex trafficking and mega-events are not linked. #8221;
A European group called The International Organization for Migration arrived at the same conclusion in Germany after rumors that 40,000 prostitutes would go to the 2006 World Cup. The estimations are #8220;unfounded and unrealistic, #8221; the IOM reported.
Ernie Allen, director for The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, said he was misquoted last year when predicting 10,000 prostitutes would show up in Miami for Super Bowl XLIV.
Allen said the Super Bowl likely doesn #8217;t attract more sex traffickers than any other large event. What #8217;s more, he also conceded there is no way to quantify the problem.
Hmmmm #8230; definitely something to think about. That the campaign could be exaggerating the magnitude of the problem, with only anecdotal evidence, is entirely possible. People can get carried away with emotional issues, which is why the campaign is getting so much attention. At the same time, the issue is a critical one if even one child is kidnapped, abused, raped, bought and sold.
More campaign creative after the break.
Advertiser:
Traffick911
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Eco Reminders
Posted by Marc | 4-02-2011 20:39 | Category:
Design, Environment
Hu2 design made a nice collection of stickers which reminds us every day about our ecological footprint when using electricity.
The stickers aren #8217;t cheap but you only need one or two.
Source:
Bright
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People for Corporate Tax Cuts
Posted by Tom Megginson | 4-02-2011 16:24 | Category:
Government
I was walking down the street in downtown Ottawa yesterday, and this ad passed me on the side of a bus:
My first reaction was, #8220;they #8217;ve got to be kidding #8221;. My second was to look them up online.
People for Corporate Tax Cuts is a huge campaign by the union representing the Province of Ontario #8217;s public servants (OPSEU). They also posted a manifesto. Here is part of it:
#8220;Corporate tax cuts boost profits automatically. These profits, corporations tell us, pay for new investment, which creates jobs for working people. Therefore, workers should support lower corporate taxes, right?
That’s what we’re told. It’s certainly what Premier McGuinty thinks. Their plan gives corporations tax cuts worth more than $8 billion a year.[4] Over half of this tax cut comes from the Harmonized Sales Tax, which the Ontario Chamber of Commerce lobbied for and got. More than $2.4 billion of it is a cut in the Corporate Income Tax rate.
#8216;People for Corporate Tax Cuts #8217; is all about this $2.4 billion cut. All of the $2.4 billion goes to profitable corporations; most of it goes to corporations who quite clearly do not need it. The Big Six banks, for example, made $14 billion in profits in 2009, and that was after they paid out $8 billion in bonuses. There is no reason to think that giving more money to Rogers Communications (2009 profits of $1.5 billion) or Great West Life ($1.7 billion) will create any jobs. These tax cuts are strictly no strings attached!
Of all the ways the government could spend $2.4 billion, corporate income tax cuts are just about the poorest choice. For every dollar a government spends on corporate tax cuts, we get 30 cents back in economic growth. In contrast, every dollar we spend supporting unemployed and low-income people brings $1.70 in economic growth.
It’s easy to see why. People who are broke spend every penny they have. People and companies who are well-off do something else. They might go on trips to Paris. They might invest in other countries. They might pay down debt. They might save their cash until a better idea comes along. None of that creates jobs here at home. #8221;
They also noted, #8220;there has never been an OPSEU campaign like this one. #8221; And they weren #8217;t exaggerating. The broad and complex satire has three bus boards (like the one I saw), four bus shelter posters, a series of fake classified ads.
There is also a seemingly endless collection of videos by #8220;People for Corporate Tax Cuts #8221; as well as various people finding bizarre ways to save the extra $500 they #8217;ll have to pay in provincial income tax to compensate for lost revenue.
embed
The production is deliberately cheap and cheesy, but it #8217;s appropriate when you #8217;re making fun of an issue. Plus, perhaps that #8217;s what give OPSEU the opportunity to do so much creative. I think it #8217;s a lot of fun, while delivering a pretty solid message.
UPDATED: They have also released this hilarious song, stating #8220;It #8217;s been called the greatest song since #8216;We are the world #8217; #8221; :
See more after the break.
Advertiser:
Ontario Public Service Employees Union
Source:
Campaign Site
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Ronald McDonald Has Been Kidnapped
Posted by Marc | 4-02-2011 13:43 | Category:
Activism
Two days ago Finland based FLA, Food Liberation Army, kidnapped Ronald McDonald from a McDonald #8217;s Restaurant. They want answers to questions like #8220;Why are you not open about the manufacturing processes, raw materials and additives used in your products? #8221;.
If McDonald #8217;s isn #8217;t responding the FLA will execute Ronald on Friday February 11, 2011 at 6:30PM EET.
These are the 8 questions for McDonald #8217;s.
Just like every decent terrorist organization nowadays the FLA also bring their message through Facebook.
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Put yourself in an animal #8217;s place
Posted by Marc | 3-02-2011 20:39 | Category:
Animal rights
Ouch! Animals feel pain, just like people do. That’s why agency Frese amp; Wolff show people in situations where they are exposed to the same torment and torture as animals are.
Campaign is made for the Deutscher Tierschutzbund e. V. (German Animal Protection Federation).
Video: #8220;Fühl Dich wie ein Schwein #8221; / #8220;Feel like a pig #8221;
Related post about the Deutscher Tierschutzbund:
- Monkeying with our emotions
Advertiser:
Deutscher Tierschutzbund e. V.
Agency:
Frese Wolff, Oldenburg, Germany
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Homeopathic #8216;Overdosers #8217; Announce Global Challenge
Posted by Armando Alves | 3-02-2011 18:06 | Category:
News
If there #8217;s any news where an overdose is a good thing to report, this might be it, as consumer rights activists worldwide are being challenged to participate in a global #8216;overdose #8217; on homeopathic pills, in order to raise public awareness that the remedies are in fact worthless.
The #8217;10:23 Challenge #8216;, a worldwide event this February 5th at 10:23am, is a follow-up to the protest staged by the 10:23 Campaign in the UK, which saw almost 400 demonstrators take to the streets across UK to voice their concern at the sales of the pills in leading pharmacy #8216;Boots #8217;, and the support for such #8216;remedies #8217; on the NHS.
With over 60 cities all over the world already confirmed, the global overdose is also the prelude to the demonstration in Manchester on February 6th, with over 300 protesters participating the largest ever single demonstration against homeopathy.
The 10:23 Campaign is an international movement headed by the Merseyside Skeptics Society, which aims to raise awareness of homeopathy, a multi-million pound industry based on a long-discredited 18th century ritual, selling remedies to the public which have no scientific basis and no credible evidence for their efficacy beyond the placebo effect. You can find out more about the campaign at www.1023.org.uk/ or become a fan on Facebook.
Source 10:23 Portugal
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The Call of The Mild
Posted by Tom Megginson | 3-02-2011 17:32 | Category:
Government
That #8217;s what I feel every time I go to Prince Edward Island, in Canada #8217;s Maritimes. Unlike the Newfoundland and Labrador tourism ads I posted last month, these ones focus not on quirkiness or epic landscape, but rather the pure relaxation of Canada #8217;s smallest province:
While there is certainly nothing wrong with a cultural or educational vacation, I think anyone who has toured a major city (anywhere in the world) without sufficient time or organization can identify with the comic rush to see it all.
Sure, PEI has its own cultural attractions, but positioning it as a place to go and #8220;do nothing #8221; is both bold and differentiating. And as someone who visits yearly, I can vouch for how good it can feel to do nothing but eat seafood, drink beer, and watch your child play on the beach all day.
Ahhhhhhhh #8230; I can hear the waves calling.
Advertiser:
Tourism PEI
Agency:
Grey Canada
Source:
YouTube
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The Girl Store
Posted by Reuben Turner | 3-02-2011 08:14 | Category:
Consumerism, Discrimination, Education, Women's Issues
This new site takes an unusual but increasingly common approach to good causes – commerce. The Girl Store allows you to buy the items girls in India need to be able to access education, and thus avoid an early marriage. The online shop was recently complemented by the opening of a pop-up shop in New York. It #8217;s an interesting, controversial and simplistic approach which I am sure would not be popular among NGO #8217;s here in the UK. I also wonder whether the commercial model really touches our natural altruism, or subverts it? What do you think?
Advertiser:
Nanhi Kali
Agency:
Not known – please email if it's you.
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Trust and Wear - Доверяй и надевай!
Posted by Marc | 2-02-2011 22:53 | Category:
Discrimination, Gender issues, Health
Two spots from Russia about HIV prevention. From a country where is no tolerance towards gay and bisexual men.
The campaign started as awareness within the gay community. The obvious message is protect yourself, use a condom. Or as the campaign tagline says: #8220;Trust and Wear. #8221;
But soon the videos went viral on several big Russian websites like sostav.ru, adme.ru and social networks. Georgy from the Laboratory for Social Advertising told me that intolerance became the subject in most articles and reaction online.
The social cultural factors such as stigma, discrimination and homophobia keep young people away from self-identification as homosexual or bisexual men. In consequence, they refuse to participate in prevention programs.
So a campaign which was meant for a limited target group gets a whole new audience. Georgy says he is glad it happened. Fighting homophobia is the first and most important step.
The campaign is made for LaSky, the most ambitious project for HIV prevention in Russia.
It is sponsored by PSI and led by Focus-media foundation.
Advertiser:
LaSky
Agency:
Laboratory for Social Advertising
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Shattered
Posted by Tom Megginson | 2-02-2011 16:32 | Category:
Drugs
This campaign for Alcoólicos Anônimos (Alcoholics Anonymous) Brazil doesn #8217;t need much explanation. Hell, it didn #8217;t even need the translation. I think it gives a clear picture of what an unmanaged drinking problem can do to your home, work, and social life.
One more, and agency credits, after the break #8230;
Advertiser:
AA Brazil
Agency:
Filadélfia, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Source:
I Believe in Advertising
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Explaining the Egyptian Revolution with Indiana Jones
Posted by Marc | 2-02-2011 11:49 | Category:
Politics, War conflicts
Yes we know. Bringing a message through images can be very effective.
@furrygirl made this statement with that thought in mind.
Explaining the Egyptian Revolution to Americans is not a title I would use. Explaining to FoxNews is better. They already have problems with some basic information like where Egypt is located.
See the entire comic after the break.
Btw interesting blog from Furry Girl.
Link to the original artwork.
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Dead woman as a stole? Against Fur - Gegen Pelz
Posted by Tatjana Vukic | 1-02-2011 22:10 | Category:
Animal rights
Supported by Draftfcb, the BMT (Der Bund gegen Missbrauch der Tiere -
The association against abuse of animals) launched today the campaign #8220;Gegen Pelz - Against Fur #8221;.
An online video with extreme close-ups is to spread the message of the organization. Users can distribute the 30-second spot by Facebook, Twitter or email.
The campaign page provides informations about fur and offers the opportunity to donate for animals.
Advertiser:
BMT - Bund gegen Missbrauch der Tiere e.v.
Agency:
Draftfcb, Hamburg
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93 Packets of Sugar
Posted by Tom Megginson | 1-02-2011 21:51 | Category:
Health
This new campaign from NYC Health continues the shock theme, adding up the amount of sugar somebody with a sweet tooth can easily consume — in drinks alone — during the day, and showing graphic medical consequences:
object
p
In the press release, Dr. Thomas Farley, New York City Health Commissioner, states:
“Too many sugar-sweetened drinks are fueling the obesity epidemic. Obesity and the serious health consequences that result are making hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers sick or disabled. This new campaign shows how easy it is to drink a staggering amount of sugar in one day without realizing it. We hope that this campaign will encourage people to make the simple switch to healthier alternatives such as water, seltzer or low-fat milk. If this campaign shifts habits even slightly, it could have real health benefits.”
Scary stuff. And although I generally dislike shock tactics, this one may just work in making a few people think twice about ordering that high calorie hot milkshake they call a #8220;coffee #8221;.
Print execution (low res) after the break.
Advertiser:
NYC Health
Source:
Gothamist
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Bush endorses gay marriage
Posted by Tom Megginson | 1-02-2011 19:18 | Category:
Human rights
Not an exciting ad, except for the fact that the spokeperson is the #8220;junior #8221; Barbara Bush, daughter of fundamentally Christian conservative Republican, U.S. former President George W. Bush. (President Bush Sr. #8217;s wife is also named #8220;Barbara #8221;.)
object
p
You may recall that George W Bush called for a ban on same-sex marriage in 2004, saying #8220;The union of a man and a woman is the most enduring human institution, honored and encouraged in all cultures and by every religious faith. Marriage cannot be severed from its cultural, religious and natural roots without weakening the good influence of society. #8221;
Interestingly, Barbara #8217;s mother, former First Lady Laura Bush, also spoke in favour of same-sex marriage last year.
And why doesn #8217;t the United States have a woman President yet? (Oh yeah, Sarah Palin. Nevermind...)
See Laura Bush #8217;s surprising 2010 interview after the break.
Advertiser:
The Human Rights Campaign
Source:
AdFreak
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We get where you #8217;re going
Posted by Tom Megginson | 31-01-2011 19:31 | Category:
Government
This is a campaign I worked on, so I won #8217;t editorialize. But Osocio #8217;s international audience may find it interesting to note how hard it is to get people in North America (with the exception of a handful of cities) to use their own public transit systems.
Here, the car remains king, and people who don #8217;t use public transit have a misperception that it is inconvenient, or low-class, or dangerous. So the efforts of transit marketers tend to focus on normalizing the use of transit by depicting lifestyle scenarios that show how transit can connect people with urban and suburban life. Regular riders know that once you familiarize yourself with its routines, a well-run system can actually make your life easier — with no hassles of driving in traffic, finding parking, or having to be a #8220;designated driver #8221; at the bar.
And that #8217;s the connection that these bus shelter posters from the Regional Municipality of York, part of the Greater Toronto Area, are trying to make with riders:
One more after the break.
Advertiser:
York Region Transit
Agency:
Acart Communications (Canada)
Source:
Ads of The World
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PETA gets #8220;Superbold #8221; with sex in advertising
Posted by Tom Megginson | 31-01-2011 18:45 | Category:
Animal rights
Apparently, PETA has forgotten about animals almost entirely and is now just producing online softcore porn. At least, that #8217;s the impression I got when I watched this video.
(Warning: The following contains exploitation of two major Kingdoms of Life which may turn you off of vegetables, or sex, or both.)
embed
Copyranter pointed out that while this is promoted as #8220;PETA’s NSFW New Super Bowl Spot #8221;, they didn #8217;t even bother trying to get it #8220;banned #8221; this time. (Although they say they did.) Instead, they posted what purports to be the casting sessions from their 2009 banned ad for vegetarianism, and put it out there on the outside chance that people on the internet would be interested in watching beautiful women in skimpy bikinis and high heels simulate sex with vegetables.
UPDATE: The original video link expired, and when I went to get a new one I found this page, which makes the PETA/amateur porn link even more explicit. In addition to daily updates of #8220;tryout #8221; videos #8230;
embed
...they ask you to rate the performers:
And there #8217;s even a fake #8220;subscribe now #8221; ad:
The good part is that the satire is a little more self-conscious. The bad part is that, once again, PETA seems to have lost sight of its cause and is more concerned with achieving simple brand notoriety.
Original ad after the break.
Advertiser:
PETA
Source:
Buzzfeed
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Seeing the forest for the trees
Posted by Tom Megginson | 31-01-2011 02:45 | Category:
Environment
Social campaigns don #8217;t need to be global — or even online — to make a statement that #8217;s important to everyone.
On the edge of Ottawa, Canada #8217;s capital, an old forest that locals have long loved is slated for suburban development. Urban sprawl is a big issue in Ottawa, and in North America in general, where fuel is relatively cheap and the 1950s dream of a house and a yard is more important than sustainable urban development.
The forest has yielded interesting archeological evidence of its importance to Canada #8217;s First Nations people, but that didn #8217;t save it. Now, with development imminent, a coalition of local groups held a sacred fire and decorated the doomed trees with ribbons and messages to at least document what the forest meant to people.
Thanks to my my friend Susanne, from Amnesty Canada, for sharing these photos:
More pics after the break.
The movement #8217;s Facebook group is here.
Advertiser:
I want to save the land North of Beaver Pond Park in Kanata Ontario
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#8220;Choose life, you have the right to choose #8221; - „Избери живот - Имаш право на
Posted by Tatjana Vukic | 30-01-2011 19:05 | Category:
Government, Health, Human rights, Women's Issues
The Macedonian government launched last week a media campaign against abortion under the slogan: „Избери живот - Имаш право на избор“ #8221; -
#8220;Choose life, you have the right to choose #8221;. The campaign appeared in a series of articles in the print media, as well as two videos that show
only the negative consequences of abortion.
The first advertisement explains abortions consequences:
The second advertisement explains how decision against abortion can be a decision for the family:
In the critical and very well attended blog, #8220;Feminist #8221; Kristina Hadzi-Vasileva referred to the recent campaign against abortion.
About second advertisement Kristina Hadzi-Vasileva wrote:
#8220;The boyfriend is interested only in football (soccer). The girlfriend tells him that they are going to have a baby, and he responds that they have no [material] conditions to raise it. But look, she manages to persuade him by reminding him that they went out the previous night and spent a thousand Denars (around EUR 16 or USD 20). She then comes out with the key #8220;argument #8221; - that the child will most probably be male and look like him, after which he #8220;lays down his arms. #8221; I am still puzzled as to how exactly this advertisement explains the consequences of abortion? Possibly there will be a sequel with the husband and wife arguing in front of the child about having no money, with him accusing her of blackmailing him to marry her #8220;shotgun wedding"-style. Chances are that such lack of abortion can produce psychological consequences. #8221;
Source:
Libela
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Protests in Egypt
Posted by Tom Megginson | 30-01-2011 01:46 | Category:
War conflicts
This montage video of current Egyptian protests was created by Egyptian Tamer Shaaban, and has managed to make it to YouTube despite the shut down of telecommunications by the government there.
Egypt has had several days of massive anti-government protests. Tens of thousands of people are in the city streets, despite police violence, demanding President Hosni Mubarak #8216;s resignation over massive unemployment, lack of opportunities, and undemocratic corruption.
These are scary times, both for the people of Egypt and for the rest of the world — who fear that extremist views will end up prevailing.
Another, raw, video after the break.
Source:
Huffington Post
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Miss Representation
Posted by Tom Megginson | 28-01-2011 22:14 | Category:
Women's Issues
This is the trailer for Miss Representation, an American documentary nominated for a 2011 Sundance Film Festival award.
Writer/Director Jennifer Siebel Newsom #8216;s film #8220;explores women’s under-representation in positions of power by challenging the limited and often disparaging portrayal of women in the media, #8220; according to the film #8217;s #8216;about #8217; page. #8220;As one of the most persuasive and pervasive forces in our culture, media is educating yet another generation that women’s primary value lies in their youth, beauty and sexuality—not in their capacity as leaders. #8221;
Some of the most powerful American women in the world of politics and media took part, including Former United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Senator Dianne Feinstein, Gloria Steinem, Jane Fonda, Geena Davis, Katie Couric and others. (Unfortunately, while her TV image appeared in the trailer, media superpower Oprah Winfrey is conspicuously absent from the list.)
You #8217;ll notice that highly-sexualized ads are a major target of the film. Probably a good watch for anyone in the industry, no matter what your opinion on the influence of media on gender politics.
You can look for screenings (US-only, for now) or pre-order a DVD at their site.
Check out the movie poster after the break.
Source:
Feministing
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You don #8217;t have to be a superhero to help
Posted by Marc | 28-01-2011 22:10 | Category:
Corporate Social Responsibility, Design
Video from Advertisers Without Borders (AWB), founded by William Caro (Argentina) in 2002.
The campaign goal is to add new advertising professionals and engage them as volunteers to donate at least a year campaign for a social cause that improves the quality of life of the community.
Advertiser:
Advertisers Without Borders
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Love what you do
Posted by Tom Megginson | 28-01-2011 19:33 | Category:
Education
I do, but do you? This government campaign from Ontario, Canada, offers higher education as the bridge between your passion and your success.
I #8217;m pretty sure I #8217;ve seen similar concepts before, but it #8217;s a nice use of restrained absurdity to get a simple message across. And that #8217;s alright for government work.
One more after the break.
Advertiser:
Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities
Agency:
Grey Canada
Source:
Grey CanadaFacebook Page
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World Social Forum 2011
6 Feb 2011 - 11 Feb 2011
Call for entries: DoGooder Nonprofit Video Contest
2 Mar 2011
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