Public Service Announcements That Should Never Have Been

A public service announcement (PSA) is a message in the public interest, commissioned by a government agency or non-profit organization. They can promote programs, activities, or services and are often related to health or safety issues. They’re disseminated by the media without charge to raise public awareness and change behavior. In the UK, they are generally called a public information film; in Hong Kong, they are known as an announcement in the public interest.

For television they’re generally between 30 seconds to one minute in length. One’s made specifically for broadcast in school classrooms can be up to 30 minutes long. But (there’s always a “but”), not all PSAs hit the mark. In fact, some crash and burn so spectacularly that they become legendary for all the wrong reasons. It's one thing to raise awareness; it's another to raise eyebrows - and not in a good way. Whether it’s due to bafflingly poor execution, misplaced earnestness, or just plain bizarre content, some PSAs have carved out a special place in the annals of cringe.

Today, we're diving headfirst - without a helmet - into the deep, murky waters of the worst PSAs ever created - those Public Service Announcements that should never have been. These gems of misguided good intentions will make you question everything you thought you knew about public messaging. So, fasten your seatbelt and prepare for a sometimes terrifying ride through the most hilariously catastrophic attempts at saving humanity from itself. You might laugh, you might wince, you might shake your head in wonder, but one thing’s for sure - you won’t forget these disastrous do-gooder flops.

We’ll start out gently with two of the most famous and effective PSA’s shown on commercial television in the 1970’s in the United States. These two are examples of PSA’s that successfully got their point across.

Keep America Beautiful. The first features Iron Eyes Cody, an Italian-American actor who portrayed Native Americans in Hollywood movies (times were different back then…). “Keep America Beautiful” was an environmental commercial which showed Cody in costume, shedding a tear after trash is thrown from the window of a car and it lands at his feet.

The announcer, actor William Conrad, says: "People start pollution; people can stop it." The ad won two Clio awards, incited a frenzy of community involvement, and, according to sources, "helped reduce litter by 88% across 38 states".

Prevent Forest Fires. Smokey the Bear came to life as the US Forest Service mascot in 1944 and quickly became a part of American pop culture.

The ad campaign and his iconic tag line, “Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires”, is the longest running public service announcement campaign in US history. According to the National Ad Council, 80% of Americans are familiar with the PSA campaign. This ad, from 1973, doesn’t feature Smokey directly, but effectively warns that it can only take a minute to wipe out a century’s worth of history.

Ok, so enough with the good ones. Now we’ll get to the point of today’s post, the not-so-good ones, entertaining though they might be.

Beware Child Driver. This PSA from the early 1970s is a prime example of a public service announcement that aimed high but landed somewhere in the realm of the perplexing. This PSA was designed to warn parents about the dangers of leaving their car keys within reach of children. However, it’s execution turned it into an unintentionally surreal piece of media.

Don’t Drink & Drive. This 1980s "Drunk Driver" PSA is a relic that hilariously missed the mark. It features a man so cartoonishly drunk, he's stumbling around like a bad actor in a community play. His slurred speech and exaggerated motions make the whole scene feel more like a slapstick comedy than a somber warning. The over-the-top acting and earnest narration transform what should be a stern message into a laugh-out-loud, retro spectacle. It’s so bad, it's good - like a cheesy B-movie that’s endlessly rewatchable for all the wrong reasons. And if the booze doesn’t kill this guy, the caloric intake from the meal he’s eating most certainly would!

Don’t Drink & Drive. This Star Wars “Friends don’t let friends drive drunk” PSA from 1979 must be one of the most 1970’s specific PSAs in history. But who are they to talk? I’m guessing Han Solo flew around the galaxy under the influence on more than one occasion. He was a scoundrel after all!

Don’t Smoke. And speaking of Star Wars, in this 1983 public service announcement, C-3PO comes down hard on R2-D2 after he catches the diminutive droid smoking. "R2-D2, you found a cigarette," C-3PO gasps. R2 balefully chirps and bleeps, clearly looking for guidance, and C-3PO warns him in no uncertain terms that "it's very dangerous: Smoking does dreadful things to your lungs, and it's very bad for your heart." C-3PO claims he's perfectly aware that robots don't have organs, but "humans do, and I think we should set a good example." That clinches it for R2-D2 who determinedly drops the cigarette to the floor, despite the fact that both robots are indoors - which doesn't exactly "set a good example," either.

What to do with Kids in Cars. We’re not even sure what the point of this PSA, produced by the Automobile Manufacturers Association, was supposed to be. It’s essentially a list of ways to try and make sure your kids aren’t being annoying when they’re crammed in the back of your station wagon on a road trip.

Slow Down! It must be said that New Zealand has a knack for creating horrifying PSAs regarding the subject of dangerous driving. As such, you’d have to assume that all New Zealanders are either excellent drivers or that most are too terrified to step behind the wheel again. In any case, 2014’s “Mistake,” designed to get drivers to ease off the gas pedal, has to receive special mention for one of the most haunting we’ve ever seen.

Slow Down!! This PSA from Thailand takes the same approach as the previous one from New Zealand, only with a little humor of its own thrown – before slamming head on into a semi.

Too Much Water in the Kettle: Ok, so we get that the British are mad about their tea. But this PSA, by we know not who, is just plain ridiculous. Was there really a wave of people over filling their tea kettles at one time in Britain? And on their boats yet???

Lonely Water. When the Brit’s weren’t busy traumatizing their citizens with exploding tea kettles and the like, it tried to traumatize them with public information films instead. Enter “Lonely Water” from 1973 featuring Donald Pleasence voicing the character of the Grim Reaper. Designed to warn children of the dangers of water (apparently via nightmares), “Lonely Water” features a dark, cloaked figure known as the “spirit of dark and lonely water,” watching over children playing by rivers and lakes. What follows is a series of accidents leading to some watery graves for a few unfortunate kids. With overtones of Bergman’s “The Seventh Seal”, we’re guessing Arnold Schwarzenegger got some inspiration from the last line in the PSA.

Stop Littering. You may know David Lynch as the enigmatic and extraordinary mind behind such creations as Twin Peaks, Eraserhead, and Blue Velvet. Well, in 1991 the famed director also tried his hand at producing a PSA on the subject of littering. Yes, the legendary David Lynch made a PSA, and of course, the result, aptly titled “Clean Up,” is one of the strangest we’ve ever seen. Shot in black and white and without showing much, there’s an eerie sense of foreboding throughout. And between the rats and the music score, it’s downright unnerving.

We’re Not Candy. In 1983, officials in Long Island, New York were apparently worried that children may mistake unbottled prescription pills for blue M&Ms. Cue this bizarre PSA video in which blue "pill puppets” resembling Sesame Street characters sing in a high-pitched voice about why you should avoid them. Lyrics include "We are being serious/We might make you delirious".

Stop Speeding. This PSA from Northern Ireland is likely to give you nightmares. It begins with footage of an adorable group of schoolchildren going to the local park. Cut to a man grabbing his keys and heading out in his car. The man speeds around a bend, flips over and crushes all the adorable children with his car. The voiceover at the end says the equivalent of a classroom of children is killed every year by speeding drivers in Northern Ireland. The commercial was sharply criticized for attempting to "improve social conduct through the use of nightmares." In fact, that's a rather good way to describe the mission statement of a lot of these PSAs on the whole. We’re thinking this one might fall into the category of ‘overkill’…

Hip Choice. Ever thought about taking drugs? Well, think twice. This 1993 public service announcement - brought to you by Concerned Children's Advertisers & Health Canada - was specifically designed to scare you away from illicit substances for good. And with the help of some memorably misshapen puppets, it just might succeed. In "Hip Choice," we meet two pouty puppet children resembling Botox injected Cabbage Patch Kids.

They're clearly on the wrong side of town - perhaps lost at the intersection between Sesame Street and Skid Row. In no time flat, our bulging lipped duo is propositioned by a drug-dealing puppet with a Lou Reed complex and two trembly hands piled full of dirty needles, soggy joints, and unidentifiable capsules. As the children entertain this wholly unappetizing offer, we're subjected to a bizarre black-and-white montage (presented so quickly as to be nearly subliminal messaging) of dead celebrities who struggled with substance abuse: Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, John Belushi, on and on.

SMURF’s! You're now entering a corrupt cartoon world - a cold, unforgiving place where the entire Smurf community can be wiped out instantaneously by the ravages of war. Picture a cartoon version of Picasso’s Guernica. We first see our tiny blue friends emerge shyly out from behind various mushrooms and tree trunks, congregating for a carefree afternoon of music and dancing by the campfire. The frivolity is short-lived. Bombs rain from the sky, and Smurfs splutter and splatter.

The whole village is destroyed in seconds. How many were lost that day? Count Smurfette among the deceased: she's face down on the ground, one shoe off. Only Baby Smurf survived, crying out into the fiery sky...but, who is alive to hear? In 2005, UNICEF Belgium took this bold and decidedly unconventional approach to highlight the plight of child soldiers with this PSA that was meant to be a stark wake-up call to viewers, drawing a parallel between the innocent fantasy world of the Smurfs and the harsh realities faced by children in war-torn regions. The clip only played on TV in Belgium after 9pm in order to ensure children weren’t traumatized – only adults.

Protect & Survive. If you’ve ever wondered, in the case of an unexpected nuclear holocaust, what's the best time and proper place to dispose of the dead bodies littered all over your property, this 1975 Public Information Video from Great Britain gives you the information you need. This "Protect & Survive: Casualties" was part of a series of educational videos and brochures that "provided members of the public with instructions on how to ... survive a nuclear attack." A 30-minute version of this was available for broadcast in classrooms.

Duck & Cover. And speaking of nuclear holocaust’s, probably one of the most famous, or infamous, PSAs ever was 1952’s “Duck and Cover” which taught young children the basics of surviving an atomic bomb blast. Basically, all you need to do is duck – and cover. That’s about it. Of course, covering yourself with a thin blanket can also help to ward off the dangers of falling debris, shock waves, and deadly levels of radiation. The film was made by the Federal Civil Defense Administration and came under fire at the time for both instilling a culture of fear and giving incredibly stupid advice.

Work Accidents. The Workplace Safety Insurance Board of Canada produced a series of PSAs that focused on workplace safety. A noble endeavor for sure. However, while the message was a good one, the shock value makes it very hard not to crack up just a little bit. Here’s just two from the series that we think proves our point.

Workplace 1

Workplace 2

VD is For Everybody. One of our absolute favorites, The American Social Health Association and the National Advertising Council produced this infamously botched PSA in 1969 to spread awareness about the increasingly prevalent problem of venereal disease. Throughout the minute-long clip, in addition to a toe-tappingly catchy song, we meet a lady in a sundress and floppy hat, a gentleman stridently practicing the violin, your friendly neighborhood librarian is evidently among the afflicted, as is the local butcher. Meanwhile, a pregnant woman glows with the promise of new life. The ad ultimately plays like a ringing endorsement for venereal disease. We’re pretty sure an entire generation of children were confused into thinking that they too could be attractive, successful, and happy, if only they could get their hands on some of that VD…whatever that is.

Meth – The Musical. We’re not sure that catchy musical numbers are the most effective way to go when you’re trying to dissuade people from doing something. And, while there are plenty of tone-deaf anti-drug PSA’s out there, this anti-meth ad from 1998, produced by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America and featuring music by Belinda Carlisle, has to rank pretty close to the top. The pathos of the gritty footage of a strung-out teenage girl cleaning every corner of her house with a toothbrush is largely undermined by the gutsy soundtrack, which seems deliberately primed to throw you right out of the narrative. Key lyric: "Look at me, busy as a bee/Where'd I get all this energy? Ooooh, meth/Mm-mmm, meth!" It gives the impression that housekeepers everywhere should smoke a bowl before going to work.

Don’t Smoke Crack Kids. In 1991, Paul Reubens - the comic actor who portrayed the legendary Pee-Wee Herman - agreed to produce an anti-drug video after pleading no contest to indecent exposure charges. Judging from the end result, it seems like Reubens was ultimately subjected to some rather cruel and unusual punishment to get him to agree to do this. His demeanor is stoic and funereal. Harsh floodlights beam down on him as he stares into the camera, face scrunched up with intent. "This is crack," he indicates the vial in his hand. "Rock cocaine. It isn't glamorous, or cool, or kid stuff." Considering the PSA was evidently aimed at kids in pre and elementary school - a demographic not exactly renowned for its out-of-hand crack cocaine problem - it's probably hard to measure how effective the campaign was.

Careful With Alcohol. This PSA from Belgium shows that drinking alcohol can be dangerous to your health – in the most unexpected of ways. One thing’s for sure, whatever this guy was drinking is not for us!

Drive Like Grans in the Car. This PSA from the UK about the dangers of driving under the influence of drugs makes us wonder what the producers were on when they came up with the idea. Gran appears in the toilet, gets flushed away, then winds up in the backseat of the car. Truly, we can’t make this stuff up.

If Everyone’s Gay. This PSA from Brazil we’re guessing is for a music festival. As you’ll see, it’s message is fairly consistent throughout so we’re assuming the writing team didn’t incur any overtime for their work. And the final scene is, well, just plain bananas.

Don’t Disturb the One’s Working. The Norwegian Association of the Blind has done a whole series of PSAs that are as fascinating as they are funny. This one, about people who are doing average, ordinary, everyday jobs being annoyed by random people in random ways, seems to make no sense at all until the end.

Move With Conscience. This PSA by the DGT Mobility Campaign of Spain from 2015 is confusing to say the least. The objective of the campaign was to make all citizens aware of the use of public transport, cycling or simply moving from one place to another by walking to avoid traffic jams, reduce pollution, save money, etc. But it’s hard to tell all that from the PSA. And the music overlay of “The Pennsylvania Polka” in Spain? Well, see for yourself.

Farts. The Finnish Cancer Foundation has done a series of PSAs about the dangers of smoking. What can we say about this other than it’s true that flatulence can make pretty much anything funny.

Shiny Suds. This PSA, put out by the Household Product Labeling Acts people, is to promote labeling on household cleaning chemicals. At first you think you’re heading into an updated version of Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho”. Instead, you find the lady showering with a bunch of perverted little scrubbing bubbles. Regardless, we’ll certainly never look at our shower in the same way again.

Cartoon All-Stars To The Rescue. It's an old truism: "If the combined forces of Alf, the Ninja Turtles, the Muppet Babies, Winnie the Pooh, Garfield, and George H.W. Bush can't fix something, nothing can." It was with these bold words echoing in their ears that the minds behind "Cartoon All-Stars to The Rescue" leapt into action.

The year was 1990, and the War on Drugs was going well. Really well - for the drugs. In a post-Reagan world where young folks had figured out that "Just Say No" to drugs had a foolproof Achilles heel in the form of just saying “yes”, the powers that be were anxious for a new, hip way to convince kids that chemicals designed to make your brain feel fun were a bad idea. And nothing, someone must have decided, is hipper than a Smurfs/Winnie the Pooh crossover PSA.

The narrative goes like this: A little girl notices that her older brother is acting strange, so her officially licensed toys come to life to put a stop to things - as, of course, is common in the world of sobriety. Going on an adventure together, the siblings learn of the dangers of ... marijuana addiction from all their favorite cartoon buddies. The whole thing was introduced by George and Barbara Bush and their dog. Then Senator Joe Biden called it "the single most ambitious and important drug education program ever attempted anywhere."

While we might beg to differ with that statement, what better way to bring our look at ridiculous Public Service Announcements to an end?

As we wrap up this exploration of some of the worst PSAs of all time, let's take a moment to appreciate the sheer absurdity, occasional horror, and unintentional comedy they have provided. From muppet-esque pill puppets to grim reaper-esque warnings about water, these misguided messages have left a mark not by their intended impact, but by their sheer oddity and entertainment value. It's as if the creators were given a mandate to raise awareness but decided to take a detour through the realm of the bizarre and unsettling.

Consider the Smurfs' harrowing wartime experience or Pee-Wee Herman's solemn crack warning - both serve as stark reminders that not all well-intentioned messages hit their target. In fact, many of these PSAs have become cultural artifacts, preserved in the annals of public service missteps. They remind us that while the road to good intentions may be paved with noble ideas, the execution can sometimes veer hilariously off course, much like a driver in one of those infamous anti-drunk driving commercials.

In the end, these PSAs have given us more than just cautionary tales; they've gifted us with endless amusement and a valuable lesson in the power of context and tone. So, the next time you stumble upon a cringe-worthy PSA, remember to laugh, learn, and perhaps thank the stars that our public messaging efforts have (hopefully) evolved past such earnest yet hilariously flawed attempts. Until then, stay safe and aware. And if you’ve had any unusual experiences with anthropomorphic cleaning products with questionable intentions in your shower, we’d love to hear about it in the comments below.

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