Nearly three years ago, we first reported on the Peace Council. At that time one of the group’s co-founders, Brent Ladd, senior VP/creative director at GSD&M, Austin, Texas, described the nonprofit foundation’s goal as simply to create advertising that will raise awareness about issues of social consequence. "We want to provide food for thought," he stated.
Today, the organization continues to hold true to that objective—the latest case in point being the lead entry in this week’s "The Best Work You May Never See" gallery (see p. 11): "Pistol," directed by Dennis Fagan of Austin-based Dennis Fagan Studios.
The PSA shows an automatic firearm being methodically assembled in a matter of seconds by two obviously well-trained hands. The camera finally reveals to whom those skilled hands belong: a mere boy.
A series of three supers appears: "Over 350,000 children around the world / are forced to fight in wars. / Kids should be kids."
The Peace Council started working on this issue a year ago, creating print ads to call the situation to people’s attention. "Pistol" was conceptualized and in production prior to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the current military action in Afghanistan.
"The timing [of the PSA coming out now] might be bad in terms of stations giving us air time," opined Ladd. "But this is an important message."
Paradoxically, the bad timing is also commendable in that it’s compatible with the Peace Council’s charter, observed Ladd’s colleague at GSD&M, senior VP/creative director Daniel Russ. Also a co-founder of the Peace Council, Russ noted that the organization tries to take a lead role on issues that haven’t yet been widely championed in the public service ad sector.
"That’s what makes the goal of drumming up awareness all the more important," Russ related. "We’re not tackling issues that people know about. Hopefully, we’re informing people and getting them to think about situations they hadn’t thought seriously about before."
Indeed, that’s been the Peace Council’s track record. Some five years ago, the Council made its first major splash with a print campaign advocating a ban on land mines, as well as the removal of those that had already been planted. One of the ads showed a picture of a land mine with accompanying text that read: "This Is A Land Mine. It Doesn’t Know When The War Is Over."
In other print endeavors, the Peace Council has addressed prison rape and expressed opposition to a nuclear waste dump in Sierra Blanco, Texas.
A print campaign for Texas Monthly magazine promoted volunteerism. In one ad, a photo of a woman pressing a pair of fingers against her neck was complemented by copy that read: "Place two fingers against the jugular vein behind your ear. Feel something? Good. You qualify for volunteer work." The ad recommended such organizations as the Children’s Advocacy Center, Special Olympics Texas, Reading Is Fundamental and Junior Achievement.
Then TV spots emerged, including "Power Lock," a PSA that casts a different light on racism (SHOOT, 1/21/00, p. 15); and "Hole," which shows the danger created by the proliferation of land mines worldwide (SHOOT, 4/14/00, p. 15).
"The Peace Council has a true sense of purpose," said Ladd. "It shows the power of advertising to do some good, to help raise people’s personal consciousness about themselves and about social issues. Advertising can be a tool for positive change, and for getting people involved."
