You can always use new ads to reach your target audience, but sometimes an especially poignant PSA is what sticks with people the longest. See how Sandy Hook Promise and other big brands are making a statement this week in our Weekly Must Reads.

A Back-to-School Reality Check

Many brands run back-to-school ads this time of year, but few are as chilling as the new PSA from Sandy Hook Promise.  The nonprofit created a video that starts off like any other normal, happy back-to-school commercial, but quickly takes a darker turn to show the reality of gun violence from students’ perspectives. In the PSA, young students show off their must-have school supplies and then demonstrate how they would use them to survive a school shooting. The scene is frightening: scissors and colored pencils are used as means of self-defense, while gym socks become tourniquets for victims.

Sandy Hook Promise has released PSAs in the past, but this campaign will be their largest to date, featuring print, radio and out-of-home ads in addition to the digital video. The campaign’s goal is to spread awareness about the signs of gun violence and preventative actions that schools can take. Watch the video here: https://www.thedrum.com/news/2019/09/18/sandy-hook-promise-returns-with-harrowing-back-school-ad-address-mass-shootings

Spotify Wants You to “Listen Like You Used To”

Music streaming service Spotify is known for their pointed and clever out-of-home ads, particularly during their end-of-year Wrapped campaigns. Their latest ads, which are up throughout the UK as part of their “Listen Like You Used To” campaign, will ring especially true for members of Gen X. The billboards compare listeners’ favorite bands and songs from the ‘80s and ‘90s to the very adult and sometimes boring realities of 2019. (Our favorite? “1995: Smashing Pumpkins. 2019: Smashing avocados.”)

In addition to the outdoor ads, Spotify created video versions to spread the messages to their online audience. The goal of the campaign was to connect more closely with listeners who were teenagers between 1979 and 1999. Do you think Spotify accomplishes their goal? See all the ads here: https://www.adweek.com/agencies/these-painfully-accurate-spotify-ads-want-you-to-get-back-to-raging-not-just-aging/

Burger King Catches Customers in Food Comas

We’re all familiar with the food coma: the post-meal pass-out, inevitable after an especially large and satisfying meal. In Mexico City, one Burger King manager noticed customers were consistently dozing off at their table after eating sandwiches from the chain’s “King’s Collection” of burgers. When the manager mentioned it to Burger King’s agency, the team jumped on the idea, and the new campaign “They’re That Big” was born.

The campaign centers on a series of print ads that show Burger King customers peacefully asleep at their table, often with an empty tray in front of them. Each piece is marked with a day, time and location to prove the authenticity of the photos. The ads will run in Mexico for now but may expand to other markets soon. Check out the ads here:  https://adage.com/creativity/work/burger-king-little-naps/2197136

Facebook Rolls Out Interactive Ads

Tired of the same old Facebook news feed ads? You’re in luck. Facebook is rolling out new interactive ads with more playful formats, including polls, games and augmented reality experiences. Companies have already jumped on the opportunity to try all the = new interactive ad features. Vans created a downhill snowboarding game, while makeup brands have tested the AR format to help people “try on” new lipstick shades.

Facebook hopes these additions will open up more of a two-way conversation within their advertisements. By clicking poll options or engaging in games, users can provide feedback to brands just as they do in regular social media posts. Find out more details on the new formats here: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/19/facebooks-new-interactive-ads-let-you-play-games-try-on-lipstick.html