Feeding America

How to create a good PSA.

1. take beautiful black and white footage of people

2. add Tom Waits

3. top off with fun creative gimmick such as reinforcing literal message with human body parts

These are actually a few years old but they were running the other day and i just liked them. They remind me of the found alphabet photos and spell with flickr. (both endless fun and inspiration, I think i might take this concept to make some DIY gifts for approaching weddings, what a good excuse to hit the city with the camera?)

The Defenders

Some people very close to me have recently been affected by the vote against a law supporting gay marriage in Maine last week. The heartbreaking repeal seems unreal but at the same time like more of the same after similar results in California earlier this year.

This video says it all pretty well i think:

Design Gives Extra Legs to NonProfit Smallbean

Today I'm proud to be affiliated (read acquaintances) with a brand spanking new nonprofit organization that is not only spreading the love around the world but looking damn good while doing it. Graphic Design friend and Classmate Sean Hewens is responsible for dreaming up and following through with the launch of Smallbean, an organization that takes slightly outdated iPods, digital cameras and other technological ephermera and sends it to communities around the world that dont have such high standards for the bigest, brightest, newest of the new - to be used as teaching aides and to document daily life.
The retro rabbit ear TV graphics for Smallbean scream vintage without being boxed in and the illustrated gadget pipeline by Michelle Morin is just darling. Don't you love the plane full of happy electronics snug in their seats?
Go over to Smallbean, play around the site, check out the rest of the graphics, and for crying out loud put your old iPod back to use by donating it to Smallbean!

Perspectives on a Girl

It's beginning to look like a girl power week around here but I couldnt help it. How cute are these films for Girl Guides? These two stop motion animated films are part of the Girl Guides, (Americans think Girl Scouts,) Film Festival. They are not only adorable but support the themes of the organization, encouraging girls to explore, create, and make friends through common interest.




via Motionographer

Glamour Beauty Revolution

Apparently Glamour is following the lead Dove took (how many years ago now?) taking a stand behind real women with real figures and sizes in the double digits on the rack at Macy's.

Now to see if they keep to their word, and follow up with realistic models in their spreads and editorials on a regular basis. One can't help but notice the spread on the following pages in this months issue are standard issue size 0-2 models. I guess we'll see - i hope it does become the norm, better late than never!

update: the hypothesis behind this piece seems to be that beauty comes in whatever size you are, be that a size 2 or a size 12, now that i like.

If You Spell Something Wrong Do You Deserve Surgery?

...I dont think so." Find out what else you don't deserve and stop picking on the Insurance Companies - check out this Funny or Die sketch featuring Will Farrell for MoveOn.org.

Protect Insurance Companies PSA from Will Ferrell

The video has caught over 600,000 eyes today alone, now that is viral.

R.E.M. and MoveOn.org We Can't Afford to Wait

R.E.M. loaned their 1988 tune You Are the Everything to MoveOn.org to help members tell their personal reasons why they can't wait for Health Insurance Reform.

NotEvenOnce.com

"Our first campaign focused on the impact Meth has on the individual—the user. Our latest ads show the collateral damage that occurs to users' family and friends. This new concept is based directly on input from teens."

Thomas M. Siebel
The Meth Project
Founder and Chairman

Learn more about The Meth Project here.

Texting While Driving PSA

Yesterday morning a local radio station here in Boston got into a lengthy conversation about PSA's spurred by this new, horrific, graphic, and never ending PSA out of the UK. The conversation was about whether PSA's are affective or not, referencing many of the Don't do Drugs PSA's of the 70s and 80's, but man - this one really sticks with you, and there is nothing to make fun of.

Warning, when I said horrific and graphic I meant it.

Down and Dirty Beach Party

Keep it Clean Gidget! This retro inspired beach party features Ken Doll inspired surfer boys, hot pants, pig tails and lots of junk - all together in a spunky poppy singalong beach scene right out of that surfer chick flick from the 60s. The purpose? To stop California Beach Bums from leaving their trash behind.

The spot comes from BBDO, my favorite part is the song via Human.

Oh No! Is that Johnny dancing with Judy on broken glass by the cove?

The Fresh Air Fund - Looking for Racers

The Fresh Air Fund, a not for profit organization proving inner city children with free summer programs in rural settings or fresh air camp experiences, has put the call out for runners to participate in the New York City Half Marathon to raise money for the cause.





For more info on how you can participate or volunteer, check out the Fresh Air Fund website.

World Leaders Entertainment Animates Food Rescues

A slew of animated spots for New York's City Harvest Food Rescue are traveling the internet spreading the word about feeding the hungry by actually rescuing food via cartoon.

The spots are classic animated rescue scenarios, an evil doctor with a giant laser, a last minute pardon on death row, with food in the captive role. Full of food puns, the ads are light-hearted stories , taking only the issue of feeding the hungry seriously.

Butterfinger and Fried Green Tomatoes come to us via animation company World Leaders Entertainment. For more info about City Harvest and how you can help visit http://www.rescuefood.org/.

Waste Deep Vintage Muppet PSA

In honor of Earth Day I was looking for some retro PSA's about recycling and green topics because I keep thinking how sad it is that the kids of my generation, (the 80's) have been learning to live green since a young age - but it took until 2008/2009 to become a trend in the states.

Here is a spot from The Better World Society, winner of a Telly Award in 1990, featuring Kermit and a cast of Muppet monsters in "Waste Deep."

Earth Hour 2009

This Saturday, March 28, 2009, 8:30 pm local time millions around the world will be turning out the lights to raise awareness about climate change. Here in Boston Governor Patrick will be turning off all non essential lights in state buildings to encourage the private sector to do the same. To see how you can participate and how your city and town is taking part visit Earth Hour.(art work from Shepard Fairey)

New From Amnesty International

Dark moments in human history are animated in this dreary spot from Leo Burnett Lisbon and Lobo for Amnesty International.



Here is another Amnesty spot from last year that will stick with you...

2009 LA Tap Project

TBWA\Chiat\Day has launched a print campaign for this year's LA Tap Project. The ads play on the same bright and retro hand drawn style as last year's video to call out to the community to make a small change but be a big help to those in the world without water.

The Cohen Brothers Helm Spot for Clean Coal

Sponsored by ThisisReality.org, the Cohen Brothers direct a new PSA illuminating the newest in Clean Coal Technology.

For more information visit This Is Reality.

Update: Check out the behind the scenes footage here.

ACT Fast

Local Massachusetts marketing firm, GEOVISION in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health developed this PSA to heighten awareness of the signs of stroke. The catchy tune and adorable animation remind me of the cartoon PSA's of my childhood - it's a bit like a modern School House Rock, don't you think? When this came on the air I couldn't help but pay attention - and smile.

Miniatures Used to Magnify Pollutants in Light Bulb Production

In a new PSA for WWF, miniatures shot against real life locations help to illustrate the unfortunatley filthy process of creating and environmentally "friendly" light bulb.

Directors Woods + Low of OPC credit the choice to use miniatures as a way to circomvent the over utilized stock footage that most audiences have become desensitized by. The “art installations filmed on location” combined with the gloomy monochromatic footage and bright pink product to illustrate the narative of the journey of the light bulb through production to our hands.

For more information visit: WWF

The Reality Campaign Reveals Clean Coal's Dirty Secret

The Reality Coalition sets us straight with their newest ad, "Smudge." The Reality Campaign, a joint effort of the Alliance for Climate Protection, League of Conservation Voters, Natural Resources Defense Council, National Wildlife Federation, and Sierra Club - tries it's hand at comedy and pulls the covers off of an Ad campaign that is championing clean coal, in which even the spokesman gets dirty.

we can solve it