This Gun Violence PSA Sneaks School Shooter Lines Into Stand-up Sets

[Sensitive content: This article discusses gun violence.] When Wanda Sykes told her audience that “Some shit’s gonna go down, and I don’t think you’re going to like it,” she wasn’t teeing up a heartless comedy set. Instead, Sykes was resurfacing the language of a South Carolina school shooter–whose words were deemed hollow until he opened…

Britain’s Financial Watchdog Releases Cinema Ad for Dumb Money Release

The cinema release of Dumb Money, the movie that chronicles the GameStop shares story from 2021, is being targeted by Britain’s financial watchdog with a campaign that aims to warn people about high-risk investments. The film, which features Paul Dano, Shailene Woodley, Seth Rogan and Pete Davison, tells the true story of the investors connected…

This PSA Attacks The Industry That Gives Predators More Privacy

[Sensitive content: This article mentions sexual assault] There’s a monster hiding in plain sight, representing every parent’s worst fear when giving their kid access to the internet. But many tech companies pretend this menace doesn’t exist. A new campaign from nonprofit ChildFund, created by social impact agency WRTHY, underscores the threat of online child sexual…

PSA Urges Teens to Ditch the Vape by Hitting Where It Hurts: Their Wallets

Since 2014, e-cigarettes have been the most used tobacco among U.S. youth, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Public health advocates have rung alarm bells over the rise of vaping among young people, with The Evelyn Lilly Lutz Foundation calling it a “national crisis” and “ticking time bomb.” A new PSA…

See Something? These Ads Want Bystanders to Say Something 

Picture the scene. A group of male friends are hanging out playing video games when one of them starts making derogatory comments about women. He remarks that women aren’t good at sports, brandishes a nude photo from his DMs and says a former female classmate was “asking for it.” If you were there, would you…

Terry Crews’ President Camacho ‘Leads From Behind’ in Colon Cancer PSA

President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho has come from the future to encourage the public to “get your ass checked” in the latest entertaining installment from the Colorectal Cancer Alliance’s “Lead From Behind” initiative. In “Inside President Camacho,” the patriotically clad character from the 2006 cult film Idiocracy–memorably played by Terry Crews, who has…

This PSA Gives Anti-Abortion Audiences an Ultimatum

Platforms don’t like exposing audiences to content they disagree with, which was Elaine Cox’s first hurdle when crafting a pro-abortion campaign. Once she tacked her message onto the right screens, it was about getting people to stick around. And instead of hoping that viewers would ignore the universal temptation of YouTube’s Skip Ad button, she…

Whalar and Ad Council Program Will Recruit Creators to Lead Social Issue Campaigns

When it comes to brand partnerships, some content creators want to do more than show up in front of the camera–especially for a chance to champion social issues. Influential creators will have a chance to steer cause-driven campaigns in a new partnership between creator commerce company Whalar and nonprofit the Ad Council, which have formed…

Dramatic Save the Children Ad Shows Kids in War-Torn Areas as ‘Tough, Resilient’

Two youngsters survive a terrifying explosion in a town square, finding each other and escaping the mayhem–if only temporarily–through their own fantasy world in a heartbreaking new spot for Save the Children. The public service announcement, shot in downtown Lebanon and surrounding areas last year, comes from director Martin de Thurah and production company Bacon…

NHL Legend Tells a ‘Concussion Story’ About Domestic Violence

[Sensitive content: This article mentions domestic violence. If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic abuse, please call the National Domestic Violence hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE.] During his 19 seasons in the National Hockey League, Trevor Linden racked up a long list of injuries, including cracked ribs and torn cartilage that famously didn’t…

PetSmart Charities Enlists Dana Carvey as King Charles to Boost Pet Adoptions

King Charles III has a message for Americans, and it has nothing to do with global relations: Don’t buy designer dogs, he says, even if they are as adorable and regal as the Cavalier King Charles spaniel. The “king” is fake, by the way, played by comedian Dana Carvey, but the plea is real. It…

‘If It’s Not Yes, It’s No!’—The Campaign That Wants Men to Better Understand Women

When it comes to consent and the fight against sexual and gender-based violence, the phrase “no means no” has long been proclaimed. To evolve that statement, a campaign from France from two organizations, which includes the support of Tinder, has produced a ‘bible’ to help men better understand women, which enforces the statement that “If…

John Legend Sings the Praises of Updated Booster Shots in Pfizer PSA

John Legend takes his health just as seriously as he takes his craft. But he’ll still find a way to make sure there’s a sweet (and fun) payoff in taking care of both. Especially for a compelling cause. The award-winning singer, producer and activist teamed up with Pfizer for the latest edition of its “Got…

Rebel Wilson Causes Chaos in Concussion Awareness Now PSA

The link between concussions and contact sports is well known, but a traumatic brain injury can happen in many ways, from a car accident to a simple fall. Actor and comedian Rebel Wilson is urging everyone to get their melons checked in a humorous PSA for Concussion Awareness Now directed by Great Guns USA’s Oren…

Veganuary Recruits 300-Plus Brand Partners and Drops an ’80s-Style PSA for Its 2023 Campaign

Veganuary, a nonprofit group that encourages people to skip animal products this month, latches onto the ’80s nostalgia trend with a candy-colored PSA that addresses the post-holiday blues. The ad stars three family members who have clearly fallen into a funk–they’re binge watching, doom scrolling and indiscriminately napping. They’re completely sluggish and uninspired. The savior…

Teens Give Up Their Mental Health for a Pack of Cigarettes in FDA Spot

Most anti-smoking PSAs focus on the long-term health consequences, like an increased risk of cancer. The latest effort in the Food and Drug Administration’s ongoing “The Real Cost of Smoking” campaign, developed in partnership with its agency of record FCB New York, examines the immediate mental health consequences. The 30-second “Auctioneer” spot shows a group…

Mischief and ConnectRN Urge Burned Out Nurses to ‘UnResign’

Nurses are quitting … but they don’t want to. That’s the simple-yet-complicated message of connectRN’s new campaign “unResignation Notice,” a call-to-action created by Adweek’s 2022 Midsized Agency of the Year, Mischief @ No Fixed Address. The clinician-serving platform is hoping its new campaign breathes life into a nursing community that is teetering in critical condition…

Marketing Morsels: 8 Flaming Yeezy Sneakers, Wednesday’s Hearse, Holiday Hogwarts Magic and More

Welcome to Marketing Morsels, Adweek’s weekly roundup of the marketing news you may have missed. In this week’s selection, sample stunts and campaigns from Turo, Uber Eats, Instacart and more. Enjoy the assortment! Morsel #1: Watch Yeezy shoes burn for eight flaming nights In light of Kanye “Ye” West’s antisemitic remarks earlier this year and…

This Chilling PSA Urges Americans to Take Action Against Gun Violence This Holiday Season

As 2022 comes to a close, there have been 636 recorded mass shootings in the U.S. this year. This makes it the second-worst year for gun violence in the eight years since the Gun Violence Archive, the nation’s most comprehensive record of mass shootings, began tracking. Powerful PSA Urges Americans to March on the Capitol…

These Santas Want to Change How Society Treats People All Year

Colombian commercial banking company Banco de Bogot? is breaking traditional holiday messages with its “Christmas changes us, let’s stay that way” campaign, which aims to raise awareness around discrimination and disability all year. In collaboration with agency Fant?stica, the campaign encourages kindness year-round and highlights issues happening across the world, especially in marginalized communities. As…