Many of us remember the public service announcement from the 80s, “This is your brain. This is your brain on drugs. Any questions?” This PSA from the Partnership for a Drug-Free America became part of our American culture, and years later, still conjures up the image of an egg frying in the pan.
What makes a successful PSA? For me, it should be simple, memorable and eye-opening. You want to encourage your audience to do something actionable while raising awareness for an issue, typically related to safety or health.
Check out a new and interesting PSA starring the always-humorous Jon Lovitz talking about psoriasis (you can find it at SeriousAboutPsoriasis.com). It is part of an awareness campaign called Are You Serious?™, a joint endeavor between Centocor Ortho Biotech Inc. and the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF), that showcases Lovitz’s own experiences with psoriasis. The campaign uses Lovitz’s humor to not only help empower and motivate psoriasis patients to take action and talk to a dermatologist, but it also educates the public about a disease that is frequently misunderstood.