With the possible exception of the Super Bowl, most people dislike advertisements for products they don’t feel they need. Unlike commercial advertisements like this hilarious Geico ad, these social awareness posters are meant to get our attention and provoke discussions on topics that affect our daily lives and our environment.
Only when an advertisement reaches us emotionally can it be considered effective and these 36 social awareness posters are extremely powerful. I’m sure you can remember some past advertisements that left an impression on you and that is the goal of all social awareness posters and ads.
Note: Some of these social awareness posters contain images that may be disturbing.
1) Amnesty International: It’s Not Happening Here, But It’s Happening Now.
Creative/Art director Pius Walker, Amnesty International, Switzerland.
2) FEED SA: See how easy feeding the hungry can be?
Advertising Agency: TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris, Johannesburg, South Africa
3) Innocence In Danger Social Awareness Posters: Where’s The Pedophile?
Art Director: Michael Arguello, Copywriter: Bassam Tariq, Additional credits: Jason Musante
“The location of a registered pedophile means nothing when they’re not home. Take the right steps to protect your children. Talk to them about the signs of a child predator.”
Art Director: Michael Arguello, Copywriter: Bassam Tariq, Additional credits: Jason Musante
“You worry about losing your kids in a crowd, pedophiles count on it. Take the right steps to protect your children. Talk to them about the signs of a child predator.”
4) Global Action in the Interest of Animals (GAIA): Plastic Bags Kill – Keep our oceans clean.
Advertising Agency: BBDO Malaysia, MALAYSIA, Kuala Lumpur / Advertising Agency: Duval Guillaume, Belgium
5) Ecovia: Stop The Violence – Don’t Drink And Drive.
Advertising Agency: Terremoto Propaganda, Curitiba, Brazil
6) The Endangered Wildlife Trust: Bird conservation – If you don’t pick it up they will.
Advertising Agency: TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris, Johannesburg, South Africa
7) BUND: Every 60 Seconds a Species Dies Out. Each Minute Counts. Each Donation Helps.
Advertising Agency: Scholz & Friends, Berlin, Germany
8) Elm Grove Police: Slower Is Better.
Advertising Agency: Cramer-Krasselt, Milwaukee, USA
9) China Environment Protection Foundation (CEPF): Causing Cancer by Yourself.
Advertising Agency: Dentsu, Beijing, China
10) What goes around comes around. Keep the sea clean.
Advertising Agency: JWT, Dubai, UAE
Advertising Agency: JWT, Dubai, UAE
11) Animal Anti Cruelty League (AACL): Stop the Abuse.
Advertising Agency: Lowe Bull, Cape Town, South Africa
12) Reporters Without Borders: Censorship tells the wrong story.
Advertising Agency: Memac Ogilvy & Mather Dubai, UAE
13) ACAT: Victims are people just like you and me.
Advertising Agency: Advico Y&R, Zurich, Switzerland
14) Tailgating Isn’t Worth It. Give Trucks Room. It’s the Law.
Advertising Agency: Amélie Company, Denver, Colorado, USA
15) QUIT: Premature Ending.
Advertising Agency: Iris, London, UK
“THE END. If you smoke, statistically your story will end 15% before it should. For help with quitting call QUITLINE on 0200 00 22 00.”
16) Thai Health Promotion Foundation: Sleepiness Is Stronger Than You. Don’t Drive Sleepy.
Advertising Agency: BBDO Bangkok, Thailand
17) LICRA: Your Skin Color Shouldn’t Dictate Your Future.
Advertising Agency: Publicis Conseil, Paris, France
Advertising Agency: Publicis Conseil, Paris, France
18) World Wildlife Fund (WWF): Before it’s too late.
Advertising Agency: TBWA\PARIS, France
Deforestation has an effect on the air we breathe.
19) Father Bob Foundation: For The Homeless, Every Day Is A Struggle.
Advertising Agency: Clemenger BBDO, Melbourne, Australia
20) World Wildlife Fund (WWF): Horrifying vs. More Horrifying.
Advertising Agency: DDB&CO., Istanbul, Turkey
21) The Prevention Beer Mug: Please Don’t Lose Control Over Your Drinking.
Advertising Agency: EURORSCG Prague, Czech Republic
22) Greenpeace: Waiting to Exhale. Deforestation Continues with the Turn of a Page.
Advertising Agency: LINKSUS, Beijing, China
23) Moms Demand Action: One Child Is Holding Something That’s Been Banned In America To Protect Them. Guess Which One?
Advertising Agency: Grey, Toronto, Canada
“We won’t sell Kinder chocolate eggs in the interest of child safety. Why not assault weapons?”
Advertising Agency: Grey, Toronto, Canada
“We keep ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ out of schools because of the bottle of wine in her basket. Why not assault weapons?”
24) Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC): Air Pollution Kills 60,000 People A Year.
Advertising Agency: Unknown
25) Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ): Buckle Up. Stay Alive.
Advertising Agency: Lg2, Quebec, Canada
26) Global Coalition for Peace: What Goes Around Comes Around. Stop The Iraq War.
Advertising Agency: Big Ant International, New York, USA
Advertising Agency: Big Ant International, New York, USA
27) Nicotinell: Smoking Causes Premature Ageing.
Advertising Agency: Euro RSCG Australia
“Lose the smoke, keep the fire this World No Tobacco Day, 31st May”. Although this is a commercial ad, it provides an important message to stop smoking.
28) UN Women: Actual Google Searches and the Perceptions Of Women.
Advertising Agency: Ogilvy & Mather, Dubai, UAE
“Women need to be seen as equal”
Advertising Agency: Ogilvy & Mather, Dubai, UAE
“Women should have the right to make their own decisions”
29) World Wildlife Fund (WWF): Don’t buy exotic animal souvenirs.
Advertising Agency: LOWE GGK, Warsaw, Poland
30) World Wildlife Fund (WWF): Save paper. Save the planet.
Advertising Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi, Copenhagen, Denmark
31) CARA Welfare Philippines: Same pet, different owner.
Advertising Agency: TBWA-Santiago Mangada Puno, Philippines
Advertising Agency: TBWA-Santiago Mangada Puno, Philippines
32) United Colors of Benetton: Unhate.
Advertising Agency: Fabrica, Italy
“Chancellor of Germany and President of France. United Colors of Benetton Supports the Unhate Foundation – unhatefoundation.org”
Advertising Agency: Fabrica, Italy
“Paramount Leader of the People’s Republic of China and President of the USA. United Colors of Benetton Supports the Unhate Foundation – unhatefoundation.org”
33) Innocence in Danger: Sexual Predators Can Hide In Your Child’s Smartphone.
Advertising Agency: Herezie, Paris, France
34) Star Models: You Are Not a Sketch. Say No to Anorexia.
Advertising Agency: Revolution Brasil
Advertising Agency: Revolution Brasil
35) Quitsmoke: What We See When You Smoke.
Advertising Agency: JWT, Atlanta, USA
36) Distracted Driving: Think Of Both Sides
Advertising Agency: Red Pepper, Ekaterinburg, Russia
“The number of car accidents involving children increases during school holidays. Please be extremely careful!”
H/t: BoredPanda
A visual advertisement speaks volumes and even if some of these social awareness posters didn’t contain text, we still would get the message. Please share these import social awareness posters with your friends and family.
