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How much PSA gore is too much? A few years ago, disturbing posters like these were placed on car windshields in New Zealand to encourage safe driving near schools. They probably had most drivers, whether hell on wheels or not, feeling sick to their stomachs. Raises the old question of how far PSAs should go in dramatizing the consequences of reckless behavior. Said one victim support group of the computer-generated ad: “We would like to see those kinds of images not portraying the victim in that real close-up and degrading way.” Link via Coolz0r via Ads of the World. —Posted by Tim Nudd

March 21, 2006 | Permalink

Comments

I think PSA's that focus on the motivation of reckless behaviour, rather than the consequences have a greater chance of modifying that behaviour.

Yes, reminding people they can run over someone will work, but only temporarily. That's why you have to remind them in the first place. But offering someone an insight as to why they think it's okay to speed around schools, or a creative idea that challenges their beliefs on speeding in this area will have a far greater chance of changing their behaviour.

As far the gore, I think extreme visuals can be useful, but only as part of a good idea. Outside of really upsetting any children who happened to get into the car, the ad in this article really doesn't offer much in the way of persuasive argument. It's just very graphic.

Thankfully, it only ran outside one school, in one town in New Zealand for all of one day so the damage was limited to a few unlucky parents, (who, chances are, don't speed around schools to begin with) and of course, their primary school aged children.

Posted by: Bomis | Mar 23, 2006 3:23:15 PM

For an example of an extreme campaign with a good, solid idea, check out the "Not even once" TV ads for the Montana Meth Project. Yikes.
http://www.montanameth.org

Posted by: Bomis | Mar 23, 2006 3:44:10 PM

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