Public Service

Just because a billboard is intended to provide a public service doesn’t mean it’s immune to criticism. After all, sometimes the worst damage is done by people who are trying to do a good deed. Our intent is to make fun of those people when they mess up so that they get embarrassed and don’t hurt anyone again.

Don’t give teenagers alcohol, but if you do, it’s worth making it Bud Light.

February 1st, 2008

dont-drink-bud-light.jpg

Stole this from skateboard website Post 22. I’d like to think these two billboards were placed next to each other by mistake, because that would be funnier, but I’m starting to wonder if the beer billboard went up first and then the “don’t buy alcohol for teens” one. That wouldn’t be so funny. But what would we call it if the anti-teen-alcohol billboard first and then the beer one?

4 R Kids Sake, San Diego

March 6th, 2007

4rkidssake.jpg

This billboard might be raising awarenress, but it could probably raise a lot more with a few tweaks to the design.

1. Although the content of the billboard related to kids, it is not targeted towards kids, nor is it a kid-related product. The target is adults with kids, and the message is a dark one–if you leave your kids in a hot car they’re going to die or get somewhat fried–not a cutesy one as the font and colors suggest.

2. Nobody is going to be able to see who is supporting the billboard if the logos are that small, but then again you don’t want to make them bigger, so why not just leave them off?

3. “Not even for a minute” is a critical part of the message because the majority of people who leave their kids to die in a hot car are indeed probably intending to only leave the kid alone for “just a minute” while running into the store to pick up something. But it’s purplish-pink on a pink background, while “leave a child in a car” is white and stands out, so the eye is drawn to the white text first, and probably doesn’t have time to see the first line.

Still, it’s not so bad, it’s just that with something this important I’d like to see it be as good as possible. I think the main problem is the “supported by”, “sponsored by”, and “in memory of” items that distract from the primary message. If your intent is to make sure less kids die then get rid of that stuff.

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