Cocaine Unwrapped – The Machine (2012)
I enjoyed watching this PSA. I thought it effectively displayed a message that played on guilt rather than being commanding to its audience. The CGI was noticeably of a very high-budget, which is unusual for a PSA, which often get given very low budgets to work with, but this only added to the message's impact. The sound effects and quick, intense action-shots further added to the impact. The machine creature was a particularly alarming feature, symbolic of the imprisonment of people along the cocaine production line. The multiple robotic hands grasping people from the sky was particularly memorable as was the blood running down the woman's nose at the end, again persuading people not to fuel the cocaine production line.
Joe and Petunia (1970s)
This was my favourite of the PSAs that I watched, especially for its British humour and nostalgic dynamic brought about because of this. The characters' colloquialisms, attitudes and voices were what made this PSA particularly British. The comedic misinterpretations and repetition of the names 'Joe' and 'Petunia' were particularly funny, while an underlying yet obvious message was being portrayed, such as Joe reading a speech bubble out loud in a slow voice that read 'dial 999 and ask for the lifeguard'. The characters themselves are very recognisable and different from one another, and I liked this 2D style, which I'm usually not so interested in. The sound effects added to the comical nature of the PSA, making it fun, yet informative to its audience.
Charley Says – Always Tell Your Mummy (1970s)
I was aware of this PSA, due to the narration being remixed in a song called 'Charly' by the Prodigy. The dynamic of a child conveying the warning message is effective as it makes it more relatable to children, who are the target-audience of such warning. The cat is appealing due to its comedic nature (eg. doing a handstand), which would also attract a young audiences' attention, however, it could also be argued that it may distract from the important message the PSA is trying to convey. I also like the paper cut-out style used here, which has been different to all the other animations I've seen so far. A criticism would be that I'm not a fan of the mainly purple colour scheme as I think it is too dark and so less engaging for children.
Think! Hedgehog Road Safety (1998)
These hedgehog characters are instantly recognisable from my childhood and so this PSA was very nostalgic to watch. One reason they may have survived for so long might be due to their simplistic sketched design. The backgrounds too follow this very simple design, so as not to distract from the main message, contrasting with 'Cocaine Unwrapped', where the detailed CGI attempts to draw in the audience. The message is told in a catchy song, making it a fun way for children to be able to remember the importance of road safety. The parent-child dynamic in the animation can be repeated in the street and get children used to judging when to cross the road.
GI Joe – Knowing Is Half The Battle (1970s)
I found these PSAs very amusing, even if this wasn't intended when they were first made. The catchphrase 'knowing is half the battle' reoccurs in all of them, to make the messages conveyed more memorable. They also play on the fame of GI Joe to reach out to kids. I'm not a fan of this 2D comic-like style and the flow tends to be quite blocky. The character's don't have a lot of appeal for me as they are too detailed and some-what old fashioned nowadays. It reminds me of other animations from this period such as 'Scooby Doo', where the comic style was used a lot. I'm also not a huge fan of the painted backgrounds as I don't find them that interesting, or that they compliment the characters very well.
