Promoting a Social Issue

Ads that promote social issues can really have a great positive impact on society. These ads can bring attention to issues that may not be addressed on a regular basis. Sometimes advertising is the only place people see these issues being addressed, and this shows how seeing tons of ads a day doesn't have to always be a bad or annoying thing.

This ad, by Grey, Melbourne, Australia, is a great example of a responsible and great advertisement for the social cause of driving while under the influence of drugs. It is very clear, yet still clever, and gets the point across simply. There is no need for images because the point is made in text alone.


This ad, by Ogilvy & Mather, China, is a great example of promoting a social issue in a good way. The image itself is the message. It is so powerful, and really pulls at the emotional strings of the viewer. This reminds me of the ad where they put a manican of a woman in the street and had a message about women's abuse. It is images like this, that are right there in the street, that really grab your attention, that are so effective. This ad shows no offense to the issue, no humor, it is sympathetic and serious, but also gets the message across in a great way.



This ad for Partnership for a Drug Free America, by Mckinney, is addressing the social issue of drugs and does so in a good way. It has a simple but scary message addressing the effects of drugs without making it inappropriate or irrespsonsible. This ad, targeted at teenagers, I think addresses the issue better for the target audience. There are so many anti-drug campaigns out there that teenagers look at and laugh or think it is so cheesy or dumb, but I think since this one isn't too in your face, or too cheesy I think many teenagers may look at it and realize how gross it really is.