public service announcements
We tell stories that move people
Storytelling has the power to motivate us, inspire us, support us and change us. With your support, Ad Council creative impacts the lives of millions of Americans.

Visit Find Assets to download an Ad Council asset and access the largest digital public service announcements library nationwide.

MEDIA PLANNING

If you’d like to use the power of communications for good, we’d love to share our media planning tools with you.

Latest Campaigns
disaster_crisis_relief.jpg
Disaster and Crisis Relief
This campaign enables us to get into market quickly, usually within a few days of a disaster or other crisis, when funds are needed most.

The number of forcibly displaced people has hit a record high with over 84 million people forced to flee from their homes due to conflicts and persecution. At this moment, millions of refugees and displaced people from Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen and Ukraine are facing the most challenging moment of their lives. New PSAs encourage audiences to support refugees at SupportCrisisRelief.org.
November 21, 2018
Community
This campaign highlights the need for families for the 117,000 teens in the U.S. foster care system.
This campaign encourages caregivers to care not only for their loved ones, but also for themselves.
The census determines over $1 trillion in federal spending each year for programs that help give children a strong start in life. But the number of young children left uncounted is large and growing: in 2010, an estimated 1 in 10 children under age 5 were missed—that’s more than 2 million uncounted children.
Education
Everyone needs a support system of people who care, and that starts with you. By running these PSAs, you will help people find the resources they need to succeed and connect them to a better tomorrow.
The Saving for Retirement campaign empowers people to take control of their financial futures.
ENVIRONMENT
Since 2009, the Ad Council and USDA Forest Service’s Discover the Forest campaign has encouraged parents and caregivers to take their families out to the forest to experience and reconnect with nature. Our new creative work highlights the power of music to inspire meaningful experiences in nature, where families can deepen their connection with each other and the outdoors.

The campaign has developed new music created especially to inspire Black and Latine parents and caregivers to “feel the beat of nature” and experience the outdoors firsthand with their families, whether in a forest, local park, or urban green space.
For more than 75 years, Smokey Bear has protected our forests and promoted wildfire prevention. His powerful message, “Only you can prevent wildfires,” is at the heart of America’s longest-running PSA campaign.

Smokey’s message remains relevant today, as nearly nine out of ten wildfires nationwide are caused by humans and can be prevented. Additionally, during these unprecedented times, spending time outdoors has never felt more valuable. Whether we’re passing the time in public lands or in our own backyards, we all have a role to play in keeping our safe places safe by acting responsibly and doing our part to help prevent wildfires.

For tips on safe recreation, visit BeOutdoorSafe.org and for more information on wildfire prevention, visit SmokeyBear.com.
HEALTH & WELLNESS
More than 6 million Americans live with Alzheimer’s, but fewer than half have received an official diagnosis. Close family members know their loved ones best and are typically the first to notice memory issues or cognitive problems but they’re often hesitant to initiate a conversation—even when they know something is wrong.


Talking about the changes you are noticing in your loved one is hard, but an early diagnosis can have significant benefits, including eliminating uncertainty and providing more time for support. Encourage families to start a conversation with their person alongside their doctor - the first step towards a possible ALZ diagnosis, and creating a plan of action.

Using real stories, the goal of “Hopeful Together,” created in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association, is to spread awareness of the benefits of getting an early diagnosis and encourages open communication between loved ones about cognitive health. An early diagnosis can give you and your family more time to plan together, allows participation in care decisions, you and your family will be able to review and update legal documents, discuss finances and property, and identify your care preferences. The website Alz.org/TimeToTalk and Alz.org/Tiempo for Spanish speakers offers families helpful tools and resources, including information on the disease and the benefits of an early diagnosis.
SAFETY
The Ad Council has focused on drunk driving prevention since 1983, with the release of the now-classic “Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk” campaign. As the idea of a designated driver became the cultural norm, but alcohol-related driving fatalities began to increase, we recognized the need for a new approach. In 2005, we refreshed our classic campaign with a new message: “Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving."

The most recent iteration of the Buzzed Driving Prevention campaign effort prompts young men 21 to 34 to examine their own warning signs of impairment and take responsibility for their decisions behind the wheel by reminding them: If you need to do something to make yourself feel okay to drive, you're not okay to drive.
Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for children under 13. PSAs show parents how their love for their children extends to car safety. This means knowing the right seat for their child’s age and size - from rear-facing car seats, forward-facing car seats, boosters, all the way to seat belts - and ensuring that kids are correctly buckled for every ride. Make sure your child is in #TheRightSeat at: NHTSA.gov/TheRightSeat
The term bullying has come to reflect a specific situation that does not always connect to the general culture of meanness that many teens experience daily. While only one-third of teens list bullying as a top concern today, twice as many say they regularly experience more specific behaviors like drama, teasing, and exclusion. When it comes to these instances of cruelty or meanness, teens don’t realize that their words and actions can be hurtful, even if that wasn’t their intent.

New Because of You PSAs encourage teens to reflect on the power of their words and actions and consider their long-lasting effect on others. By supporting the campaign, you can help to inspire teens to create a more empathetic and inclusive culture around them.