A lot of times we don’t think of PSAs as being anything more than a 30-second scare tactic.  We’ve all seen those meth commercials– chilling stuff.  And I distinctly remember all those anti-smoking PSAs for the “Truth” campaign airing on the school network that we were “required” to watch during homeroom in middle school.

But more recently I think PSAs have become more creative in their approaches, utilizing different paths to trigger emotions.  In my opinion, that’s what sets a good ad apart from a bad one- the means by which you reach your audience.  You don’t have to freak your audience out to make them scared.  What’s more impressive and unique is making your audience smile first, or compliment a serious message by a light-hearted scene or music.

This “Embrace Life” PSA is one of my all-time favorites.  I’ve watched it upwards of 30 times and without fail, I always get goosebumps.

Post by: Eileen Matthews