Anthropology: How PSAs have changed.

Compare what we see now (if there are any PSAs (public service announcement) at all) with what was produced in the 50s.



It's really interesting to see how the film was 'composed'. The usage of animation to target children. In the event of a nuclear blast, just 'duck and cover'. It's strange. The first usage of the atomic bomb was in 1945 wiping out civilization in both Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The extend of its horrendous consequences must have been noted, studied and tracked for half a decade before the production of this film. Do you think by ducking and covering, the Japanese kids could have gotten away from the atrocities of an A bomb?

This is a pure example of advertising and propaganda which technique is known as card stacking. A method of presenting information that is positive (or best positive) to an idea and conveniently omitting the 'rest of the information'. According to the Institute of Propaganda Analysis which was founded in the 1930s, the best way for people to overcome such intentional propaganda is to search and secure more information - to see both sides of the story, all sides to a coin. The 'card stacking' method is less and less effective in today's age because of the advent of the internet. The influx of information, both accurate or otherwise, allows the mass to 'think and decide' for themselves and not be malleable to whatever advertising says.

If you've been advertising using this method, shame on you.