Shocking Public Service Announcements (PSA) are common in Canada. For example, a few years ago in Quebec, we had a TV ad that contained real footage shot during a daring car stunt that went terribly wrong (the teenage driver died while doing the stunt) so that teens would be "scared straight" by seeing how stupid and deadly reckless driving can be.The latest shocking PSA TV ad campaign comes from Ontario and is called "Prevent It." These PSAs, which have been airing for a while now, feature shocking and gruesome scenes showing what can happen at work if you don't ensure safety is everyone's primary concern.
Here are some words I've heard people say after watching those PSAs either live on TV or online: gruesome, shocking, grotesque, disgusting, powerful, incredible, hideous, sick, awful, well-done, efficient, and the list goes on and on. You either like the ads or don't. But everyone has to agree on one thing: those PSAs airing on TV have everyone at the watercooler talking. This buzz, either good or bad, helps the campaign reach its goal: have people talking about safety at the workplace.
The Prevent-It.ca website claims that the ads promote "awareness of the need for workplace safety." With these hard-hitting ads, the people behind the campaign "wanted to show how severe workplace injuries can be while reminding viewers that everyone plays a role in avoiding workplace injuries, illnesses and fatalities; these could all have been prevented."
Here are a few of the ads airing on Ontario TV channels:
You can find more TV ads from this campaign on YouTube. The "Prevent It" campaign also reaches the Internet, the radio and printed press. How would you describe this campaign? Let your voice be heard in comments.
[Via Pong A Long]















Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-20-2008 @ 2:28PM
jenowa_jr said...
These have really disturbed me... I think if they were more tastefully done they would have a better result... it's like i'm watching public tv's version of Saw.
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1-20-2008 @ 2:50PM
Glenda Wynell Ware said...
We need to see these ! We need to be more aware of safety measures, not only on the job, but also at home.
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1-20-2008 @ 3:06PM
Tom said...
These ads are just stupid.
The reality is that people become careless at work because they get complacent to the point where they are willing to take a risk. But that doesn't mean they forget that bad things can happen or that they don't know what specific bad things can happen.
Since they already know the bad things that can happen and just choose to take the chance out of laziness there's no point in being gratuitous in showing it.
Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem with reminding people to be careful but the idea that making it a horror show is going to do any good is just ridiculous. Further, this type of thing could easily give little kids nightmares which is all the more reason not to show them on public TV.
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1-20-2008 @ 3:53PM
Tim said...
These ads are excellent and there should be more like them.
Tom, kids are the focus of these ads. You show them a talking apple and they'll roll their eyes, but if you show them this, not only are they going to remember it, they're going to tell their friends to watch it too.
MSN lists were buzzing when the Soup Chef ad hit Youtube. It was gross and horrifying and EFFECTIVE.
I dont want to see cartoon animals on skateboards. That's stupid. And so is anyone that thinks that longwinded lectures are going to get through to anyone.
30 seconds. Make your point. Make people talk. These PSAs are perfect.
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1-20-2008 @ 4:04PM
LC said...
Tim,
Kids aren't the focus of these ads. Workers are the focus. Most of these situations a kid wouldn't even find themselves in since they are all dealing with the workplace environment.
If they were kid focused, they would have someone with a bleeding head and twisted bike explaining why he should have worn a helmet or some other situation a kid would find him/herself in.
Tom-
The ads seem to evenly place blame on both worker complacency and employer negligence. Whether one finds these ads morbid or morbidly humorous, they are getting attention and people are talking about them.
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1-20-2008 @ 4:57PM
Galley said...
All I gotta say is... Damn! I need to show these to my co-workers in my next training class.
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1-20-2008 @ 5:53PM
Tess Capra said...
If nothing else, I can definitely see the ads making workers more willing to question the safety of jobs they're asked to do, even if it's just to have someone else on hand to help them out.
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1-20-2008 @ 7:28PM
Jeff said...
These ads are important. Workers and employers become lazy, complacent, and damn near reckless. Unfortunately small violations become big accidents. Do accidents happen all the time? No, however prevention is never a bad thing.
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1-20-2008 @ 8:57PM
Aberdeen said...
Oo, those are pretty brutal.
I wonder how effective they are with multiple viewings, however?
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1-20-2008 @ 9:08PM
A Viewer said...
I think that the last two are more disturbing (and thus more effective) because the actors talk about the "accident" they're going to be in just before it happens -- and indeed their words are interrupted by their being killed.
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1-20-2008 @ 10:06PM
Gary said...
I've been seeing these ads on a regular basis for months now. At first they were shocking and some what disturbing but now not so much. I don't think children should be seeing theses ads, as it might give them nightmares.
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1-21-2008 @ 9:51AM
Philip said...
Forget about KIDS getting nightmares - I'm a 32-year-old man and these ads scare the heck out of me. I've only seen the disgusting one with the chef getting burned by the oil once, but that was more than enough for me. Now whenever I'm watching TV and one of these ads come on, I can't switch the channel fast enough.
It's not quite as easy to escape the ubiquitous print ads everywhere, though, including graphic images of dead bodies in newspapers ads, in posters in bus shelters, etc. Enough already!
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1-21-2008 @ 10:21AM
Argus said...
I personally prefer the Nova Scotian one's better. They're all clever with the whole "first we show them just talking, and then the camera zooms out and Surprise! They're about to die or one of there limbs has been chopped off or they're being crushed under something!"
But yes, I've noticed that here in Canada we have more "darkness" in our adverts, but we also have less aggression in them than the "United Statesians" do, so I guess its sort of a trade off.
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1-21-2008 @ 11:01AM
CJ said...
The grease fryer one was the most disturbing!
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1-21-2008 @ 12:27PM
ac said...
That one with the chef was, excuse my language, fucked up. There is no other way to describe it.
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1-21-2008 @ 11:59AM
Arc|Angel said...
I'm all for allowing these commercials and think they are important. I do evaluations (psych) on people following work related injuries and it is a hard world to work in.
I have to admit though the oil commercial made my stomach curl. But having been around after the fact on these people need to start thinking twice about things. I actually cleaned up a spill in my own home a bit faster the other day as a result!
I appreciate that they show them after 9pm here though to avoid children from seeing them.
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1-21-2008 @ 12:31PM
Adam said...
Only in Canada could they show such brutality on TV...
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1-21-2008 @ 8:11PM
sitruc said...
I'm a bit surprised by the reaction to these on TVSquad. While they may not be appropriate, relevant, or informative, I can't stop laughing. I know I'm pretty messed up, but I thought they were hilarious. Regardless, I don't see those ads succeeding at anything.
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