redpepper Reacts: The UN’s all-call for pandemic PSAs

The United Nations recently did an all-call for creative public health messages to inform communities across the globe about the pandemic. After receiving over 17,000 responses, Ads of the World curated a lovely, digestible collection of 25 of the ads. We did a little crowdsourcing of our own to weigh in on our faves, and we encourage you to do the same.

Honorable mention

Don't Touch Your Face| Directed and Animated by: Jacob Holiday

This made me laugh out loud. The styling and concept were mesmerizing. The tune is catchy. And the way the message is conveyed visually is totally unexpected but easy to get.

Bronze

LinkedIn From Coronavirus| Creatives: Changkyu Ku, Anastasiia Cherniavska, Reinier Wortman

A clever and relevant way to position the virus in a social context. There's a strange tension in it that brings attention to the subject matter and invites the "reader/viewer" to think about the virus in a whole new way. Offering a break from the ongoing politically charged social discourse.

Double Gold

Climb 4 Corona| Production Company: Ridley Scott Associates

Donate Your Shopping Budget | Production Company: Studio Plankton

Success doesn't come unless your message has a chance of influencing people's behavior. These two influenced mine immediately. And, if I had to pick a favorite, it would be Climb. Mostly because the action benefits everyone involved.

Nate Fleming, Director of Strategy

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Everything Big Starts With Something Small | Illustrator: Puty Puar

My pick would be Everything Big Starts With Something Small. In just under a minute, this video captures how so many of us have been feeling over the last few months. I like that this video doesn’t try to undermine the devastating impact that COVID-19 has had—it addresses those feelings head-on. But it doesn’t stop there. It explains that just as COVID-19 started as something so small and erupted into something beyond what anyone could imagine, so can our ability to combat this pandemic. As humans, we often think that we are just one of billions, what impact could we possibly have? But this message proves that even as an individual, you absolutely can change someone’s life.

What I love most about this video is that it doesn’t need crazy effects or fancy production to get the point across—it lets the message speak for itself with some adorable yet simple visuals for support. That’s when you know you’ve created something great.

Riley Collins, Junior Content Producer

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We are New York. Inside and Out. | Production Company: The Goondocks

As a native New Yorker, I’ll admit I was drawn to We are New York. Inside and Out. simply because of the name. Geography, pride, and the mention of dirty water dogs aside, there are two universal, underlying messages in this ad that I think we all should keep on Post-it notes stuck to the fridge:

1. Even when we’re collectively experiencing the monotony of home life, we can still find ways to be unique and express ourselves. We just have to get a little creative, so as not to let these circumstances dull our shine.

2. Fighting against the pandemic does NOT mean going out, being reckless, and ignoring expert advice. Fighting against the pandemic means making the most of the moment and finding happiness amidst the adversity of it all.

I also have yet to get tired of seeing fun, uplifting UGC. It got me thinking about what a clip of my own self-expression during COVID would look like. There would probably be food and a sunny porch involved.

Jesse Spear, Marketing Manager

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How Not To Touch Your Face In Contagious Times | Creative: Josh Cohen

My pick would be, How Not To Touch Your Face In Contagious Times. It gives a bit of comedic relief to the new realities we face. When you think about the small things we all can to do to stop the spread or to protect ourselves—like not touching our faces—it might feel a little unnatural. But this gives a visual aid, on an extreme scale, to prevent us from doing these things, and it made me laugh about the uncomfortable-ness of it all! I giggled multiple times.

Meredith Queen, Sales & Marketing Coordinator