PIFs And PSAs

Other Miscellaneous PSAs

PSAs and PIFs can cover all sorts of topics - domestic violence, sexual abuse, animal cruelty, crime, workplace safety - there are a lot of them, on all kinds of issues. And, no matter the topic, there are always some that can be scary, spooky, creepy, or just interesting. So here are all the various PSAs and PIFs that don't fit into my favourite genres, or genres that have only a few PSAs!

Animal Rights

I am a person who loves animals, and believes a lot in their rights - in their rights to be treated kindly, to be respected, and to live their lives. I don't really agree with a lot of the vegan and "ARA" modes of thought on this though, so some animal rights PSAs, I find to be condescending, over-simplified, or misinformed. Still, there are definitely some animal rights PSAs that I find scary, disturbing or unsettling, while also having good points and messages.

Faroe Islands, 1989

Commissioned by the WDCS to bring awareness to the issue of Faroese whaling cruelty. The animation style is already a little unsettling, being jittery and a little distorted. The quick devolvement into blood and killing immediately ramps that feeling up. The music, the sound design - the screaming cries of the whales and the stranglely cheerful narrator - all make this a very unsettling PSA. The final dissolution into red really just tops it all off perfectly.

The Chase, 1997

This one really gets my heart pumping. I think the camera quality just adds to the fear factord for this one, as we watch a shaky camera view running through woods and underbrush. The absoluye lack of music emphasises the building soundscape of birdsong, frantic footsteps, heavy heartbeat and the sound of a woman panting. By the time the distorted baying of the hounds kicks in the tension is already ramped high... Before the dogs come back even louder as the camera view tumbles chaotically. To top it all off, we get flashes of dead foxes to hit hme the point - because yes, this is about foxhunting. Nasty, gruesome PSA.

Transport Safety

While I imagine that road safety must take up a vast majority of the 'transport safety' category, there are some other subcategories that get PSAs - particularly, in my experience, trains. There have definitely been a few transport safety PSAs which have freaked me out, so I've tucked them away right here.

Every Near Miss Has Consequences, 2019

I have to admit, this one got me. I've watched a lot of videos online, of both near misses and fatalities on train tracks, and they really get your heart racing. Seeing these clips of near misses, alongside testimonials from train drivers who have been affected by them, does make you think about the stupid risks people are willing to take with their own lives, and the wellbeings of others. The memorial half-crosses are an interesting idea, and altogether it makes a very interesting PSA.

Reality Check, 2016

Honestly, the knowledge of what is likely going to happen in this PSA got me - I've seen plenty of videos showing people being hit by trains, so I know that footage is definitely out there. Sure enough, after a few near misses - children playing on tracks, people scrambling back and onto platforms as trains approach - there's footage of a man failing to move out of the way, being crushed and dragged under a train as it passes a station. It's not graphic, really - no blood, no gore - but it's nasty, it's sudden, and it's shocking. Classic PSA.

Firework Safety

Surprisingly, there's not all that many firework safety PSAs - at least not that I, as a Brit, have come across. Considering that we have Bonfire Night, which involves a lot of fireworks, as well as New Years and even holidays like Diwali, I would have imagined we'd have more PSAs aimed at teaching kids and adults not to fuck around with fireworks. Still, there are some PSAs I love that center around firework safety, so here I am to share them with you.

Visit, 1997

This one has everything. Distorted camera. Creepy music. Ominous text that pops up with a Sound Of Doom. The echoing sound of a child screaming and crying. It warns about the dangers of fireworks, how common accidents can be, and to be fair the pained cries of the child we can hear really do sound heartwrenching. We never get a look at the injuries he's suffered - but it's enough to have multiple trauma surgeons surrounding him and operating, so we can imagine it must be pretty bad. Definitely a PSA that would creep you out when it popped up on TV.

Maim, Hurt, and Injure, 2001

I absolutely love this series of adverts. The You Have 5 Seconds campaign is a Dutch campaign, featuring three adverts, which are best watched in order. In each video, you are given a scenario, and given 5 seconds to recognise it - before a firework blows. It brings attention to various parts of firework safety, such as not wearing hoods (so that fireworks cannot get caught in them), and weighing down firework holders (to prevent them falling towards someone). My favourite, though, is Injure - because it truly highlights the unpredictability of fireworks. Although the narrator sets up the usual scenario and begins as if he is about to give the countdown, the firework explodes before he can even begin. This is also the most 'graphic' of the adverts, as instead of cutting away before showing any injury, you instead get to watch the boy reel back and stare down in shock at his hand - where a severed finger dangles from the rest of his hand. The first time I watched this it really got me, and it's stuck with me since as one of my favourites.