PSAs, or Public Service Announcements, are short audio or video clips used to make the public aware of an issue or to change popular attitudes. They are essentially commercials that ‘selling’ a cause rather than a product.
PSAs may be heard on the radio, seen on television or now seen on the Internet on sites like YouTube. PSAs will often feature a celebrity who is somehow connected to the cause or issue.
The AdCouncil, which started in 1941 as the War Advertising Council, is responsible for producing many popular PSAs. From Smoky the Bear to Duff the Crime Dog, the AdCouncil has raised public awareness on various topics.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TduostWxwG8
Not all PSAs have been created by the AdCouncil. In 1987, Partnership for a Drug-Free America launched the This is Your Brain on Drugs campaign. A very simple analogy of drug use and frying an egg.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ub_a2t0ZfTs
Of course not all PSAs are done professionally or made displayed to a wide audience. In the 2012-2013 school year, each team at the middle school created an anti-bullying video. Below is the Encore Team’s video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xdJnpU7rlU&feature=youtu.be