public service announcement

what is a public service advertisement? let's look at an example first. CNN broadcast an advertisement: two young children play intimately together, and the following words are Israeli and Palestinian respectively; Then there were several groups of intimate scenes of children in Bosnia and Serbia, children in Iraq and Kuwait, and then subtitles were printed: Stop the war, for the children. Signature: UNICEF. This is a typical public service advertisement. Advertisements like this, which do not create economic benefits by charging commercial propaganda, but "sell" some ideas and ideas for free and convey some civilized moral concepts to the public, so as to improve their civilization and obtain good social benefits, are public service advertisements. Public service advertising is to create an atmosphere and momentum, that is, a certain social atmosphere. In a sense, the level of public service advertising in a city, a region and a country is an important symbol of the cultural and moral standards and social atmosphere of the people in this city, region and country. There are two main functions of public service advertisements: one is to spread social civilization and carry forward moral fashion; Second, enterprises establish their own good social image and consolidate their brand image through it.

1. Categories of public service advertisements

According to the identity of advertisement publishers, public service advertisements can be divided into three types. The first kind is the public service advertisements produced and released directly by the media, such as TV stations and newspapers. For example, CCTV often publishes such advertisements. This is the political and social responsibility of the media. The second is the public service advertisement issued by social specialized agencies. For example, UNESCO, UNICEF, the World Health Organization and the International Wildlife Conservation Organization have published public service advertisements such as "protecting cultural heritage", "children have the right to education", "don't discriminate against AIDS patients" and "protecting rare animals" respectively. Most of these public service advertisements are related to the functions of the publishers. The third kind is the public service advertisement released and produced by the enterprise. For example, Boeing has published public service advertisements such as "Bringing people together" and Ericsson has published "Care comes from communication". Enterprises have not only done good deeds, but also established their own social public welfare image.

from the perspective of advertising carriers, it can be divided into media public service advertisements, such as advertisements published on TV and newspapers and outdoor advertisements, such as public service advertisements on stations, buses and road signs.

According to the theme of public service advertisements, it can be divided into political policy topics, such as 2 years of reform and opening up, welcoming the 5th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, rejuvenating the country through science and technology, promoting democracy and legal system, and helping the poor. Festivals, such as May Day, Teacher's Day, Double Ninth Festival, Arbor Day, etc. Social civilization, such as protecting the environment, saving water and caring for the disabled; Health categories, such as anti-smoking, national fitness, like eyes, etc.; Social focus categories, such as laid-off, counterfeiting, pornography and illegal publications, anti-drug, hope project, etc.

ii. development and present situation of public service advertisements at home and abroad

public service advertisements originated earlier abroad. Nowadays, in developed countries in Europe and America, public service advertisements have become quite popular, especially TV public service advertisements. Television public service advertisements were first seen in the United States, France and other major national television networks, such as ABC in the United States and CANAL+ in France. After that, some multinational enterprises and institutions in Europe and America also joined in the production and release of public service advertisements. At present, most of the public service advertisements broadcast by European and American TV stations are released by some international or national organizations and institutions, such as the International Red Cross, the World Health Organization, the National Health Association of the United States, and UNICEF. And some big companies spare no effort to make public service advertisements while releasing commercial advertisements. For example, IBM's "Four Seas", General Electric's "Illuminating Life" and so on. These large companies are keenly aware that although public service advertisements do not directly promote their products, they can highlight corporate social responsibility awareness and love, establish a good and noble social image of enterprises, and strengthen the brand impression of enterprises through frequent broadcasting, so they actually play a role in promoting themselves. These companies combine commercial advertising and public service advertising perfectly, and take a two-pronged approach, firmly occupying the leading position in world advertising, which can be described as a double harvest of material and spiritual.

In China, public service advertising has also made great progress in recent years. Public service advertisements in public cars, roads, display screens and public places in major cities have become very common. Public service advertisements in the media have also increased rapidly. Especially for TV, CCTV's "Broadcast" column opened the precedent of public service advertising in China TV station. Now, almost all TV stations above the municipal level have public service advertising time slots.

III. Principles and characteristics of public service advertisement creation

The creation of public service advertisements should not only follow the creation principles of general advertisements, but also reflect the individuality principles of public service advertisements. The personality principles of public service advertising creation include the following aspects.

1. Ideological and political principles

Public service advertisements sell ideas. The concept belongs to the superstructure, and the ideological and political principle is the first gist.

The ideological and political principle also requires the elegant taste of public service advertisements. That is to say, we should unify ideological content and artistic quality, and integrate ideological content into artistic quality. At the 43rd Cannes International Advertising Festival, there was an advertisement against racial discrimination. The picture showed four brains, the first three of which were the same size, and the last one was obviously smaller than the first three. The captions were African, European, Asian and racist in turn (all under the corresponding brains). Let the audience think and experience for themselves. Unique creativity is amazing.

2. Advocacy principle

Public service advertisements should promote ideas or codes of conduct to the public in an advocacy way. Both sides should communicate on an equal footing. It is absolutely unacceptable to pose as an educator, condescend, and speak in a tone of teaching others.

This does not mean that public service advertisements cannot speak against bad behaviors and bad manners. The advocacy principle of public service advertising requires us to communicate with the public on an equal footing by giving priority to positive publicity, supplemented by reminding and persuading. There are many successful examples in this respect, such as "Cherish your summer vacation time", "Your family is looking forward to your safe return", "Protect water resources" and "Children, don't join the ranks of smokers".

3. Emotional principle

People's attitude is rooted in emotion. If the concept can be attached to the emotional components that are easily perceived, it will arouse people's * * *, not to mention the oriental people attach great importance to feelings.

For example, an advertisement broadcast by Fujian TV Station, "Cross-straits love each other, and flesh and blood look forward to reunion", successfully appealed the concept of the reunification of the motherland to love.

Fourth, the originality of TV public service advertisements

How to make the public feel interesting, curious, relaxed and durable, so as to skillfully make the public accept it from the heart, is the primary task of the producers. For example, "save electricity and turn off the lights when you go out", let's see how Russian advertisers do it. A set of animated pictures, a couple quarreled upside down, and the husband could not bear it, packed his clothes and ran away from home. My wife woke up like a dream, crying with several children in her arms. After a while, the door suddenly opened and her husband appeared at the door. Husband's back! The wife and children were about to smile through tears, but the husband stretched out his hand, snapped off the switch on the wall and slammed the door and left. The room was suddenly dark. Subtitles appear: save electricity, lights go out when people walk. This is creativity, an unexpected ending.

compared with commercial advertisements, public service advertisements are relatively creative, because commercial advertisements are bound to be restricted by advertisers. However, public service advertisements only need to conform to their own moral norms and laws, and are less restricted, so creators have more room to play.

A good TV public service advertisement idea should have the following characteristics:

1. Deeply reveal the essence and thoroughly analyze things

CCTV once broadcast a public service advertisement warning that smoking is harmful to life. In the TV picture, the word "smoking" is displayed in an eye-catching position, and the background is a combination picture of smoking endangering health. The "fire" in the half of the word "smoke" ignites a cigarette and burns a series of amazing figures:

The number of deaths caused by smoking in the world reaches 3 million every year, accounting for 5% of the total annual deaths; Every 1 seconds, one person in the world dies from smoking;

The average smoking rate of men over 15 years old in China is 61%; .....

The deep voice-over further reveals the essence:

Smoking is the biggest threat to human survival after war, hunger and plague.

A surprising set of figures and a shocking warning tell the dangers of smoking in essence, which makes people feel scared and self-evident, thus receiving a good publicity and warning effect.

A good advertising idea is the crystallization of wisdom, which will double the warning and education effect of public service advertisements.

2. Highly artistic concentration and subtle metaphor

TV public service advertisements must be compact and short, and should not be sloppy. However, the publicity effect is short and refined, and the truth is strong. This requires that what is told to people be highly concentrated in a dazzling moment.

an award-winning public service advertisement in Shandong province in 1997 is an unforgettable masterpiece. At the beginning of the advertisement, an apple flower filled the screen. After the flowers withered, the green branches produced an apple, which grew bigger and bigger, and grew into a huge and delicious apple. When the fruit disappears, two small apples are produced, and when the fruit disappears again, four small apples are produced ..., After several hidden appearances, the branches full of fruits are all thin and small. At this time, the overwhelmed apple branch was crushed with a click-the picture was frozen. A voice-over with profound meaning came from a distance: human beings should also control themselves.

The concentration of art and the exquisiteness of metaphor can shorten the time and length tenfold, and increase the appeal and persuasiveness hundredfold.

3. Moderate exaggeration and incisive warning

Good advertising creativity can't be separated from subtle metaphors, and it can't be separated from moderate and accurate exaggeration. After telling the people that "China is a country lacking in water resources", the public service advertisements broadcast by CCTV warn people without exaggeration that if water resources are destroyed unscrupulously, the last drop we see will be our own tears! On the screen, a crystal tear drops from a beautiful big eye. People are awed and shocked by the smell of it. It is really a warning motto and the finishing touch.

I often watch TV public service advertisements, and I always feel that there are different creative styles, each with its own beauty: some are outspoken and enlightening; There are wonderful metaphors that are amazing, and the needles are derogatory; Worded warning and thought-provoking; In short, an excellent TV public service advertisement will always fully reflect its creative effect through sound, video, subtitles, audio and other TV means, in order to produce the best social benefits and achieve the purpose of warning and education. Seeing creative public service advertisements is an artistic enjoyment.

Public service advertising is not only a government action, but also needs the participation and support of the whole society. If more entrepreneurs can realize this and actively participate, China's future public service advertising will have a broader world and a better prospect.