A U.N. commercial depicts American girls playing in a soccer match. A girl steps on a landmine and there’s a big explosion. Kids get blown apart. CNN and other networks don’t want to air the ad.
The explosion appears to kill and injure some girls, sparking panic and chaos among parents and other children. Shrieks of horror are heard through much of the spot, and a father is shown cradling his daughter’s lifeless body, moments after celebrating a goal she had scored.
It closes with a tag line reading: “If there were landmines here, would you stand for them anywhere? Help the U.N. eradicate landmines everywhere.”
(Copied from BoingBoing because everyone needs to see this)
International Women’s Day
danah- there is an additional space on the BoingBoing URL that makes it invalid.
I saw the commercial in a local Bay Area TV station this past week (can’t recall which one, but I’m pretty sure that is local since I don’t have cable) and it was pretty shaking! Specially because you don’t expect it such context (both US & TV commercial)- in other words, pretty effective… considering that the US has not signed the anti-antipersonnel mine-ban treaty (joining only Cuba & Haiti as the only countries in the America not to do so)
You know, I have only lived in the US, and so I can’t be sure, but I would think that the US looks pretty shady to other countries. Here is this super-power that pretty much shoots down every good thing that comes out of the UN, and then our media only reports on the power plays that noone cares about.
I showed this to my roommate yesterday. It was amazing to see his face when it happened, before that it seemed like a Tide commercial or something. What is interesting is how it didn’t change what either of us thought about mines (we were already resolved that they are horrible). We do not watch television either. I wish I had a better understanding of how effective this would be.
How long until owning a computer is more important than a TV?
マイキ
this commercial knocked me on my ass when i saw it about a month ago. it is still on my desktop… a chilling reminder.
this works for one reason. the hook is never scene. perfect timing, misdirection, and a sense of place.
it appears that it is going to be a mutual fund commerical, or a psa about how some kids can’t play with their friends, or even a schmaltzy way of selling life insurance.
And after the climax, the aftermath. not even in a most Hollywood features has discomfort been so well delivered. It reminded me of the claustrophobia of Das Boot campacted into 60seconds.
I just figured that by the time i saw it, that it was old news.
Drug companies can hide the side effects under muisc and images of beautiful people enjoying their product, liquor companies can show the same people drinking malt versions of their products, yet the UN cannot show a commercial that will save children from losing limbs and even life.
FCC sure has its priorities straight.
x
stupid U.N. Why dont they make commercials about there young girls getting blown apart with bloody gore everywhere!?
Why dont they mind there own ‘F’ing business
The commercial’s pretty good
This news is a little old, so stop me if you’ve seen this one before: First, watch this commercial. Then go read about it. (Hat tip to apophenia.)…
The reason they used American girls is so that morons like ‘me’ and ‘meagain’ can understand what the world-wide problem is. American politicians do not understand that there is a wide world out there beyond your borders. It is a shame that they don’t sell bibles with a map of the world – the average american would then have a clue. Hopefully ‘me’ and ‘meagain’ are not representative of american opinion, however I suspect that they are typical.