Caleb Wood
Multimedia Reporter
calwood@uab.edu
The Ad Council has released a ton of public service announcements to inform the public about the coronavirus during our global pandemic. Some are better than others though, so here is a countdown of the Ad Council’s Coronavirus Public Service Announcements from Worst to Best.
First Lady Coronavirus Response (60 Seconds)
The information is a change of pace from most of the ads. It focuses on trying to stay connected as a family in this trying time. The graphics are cute. It is not as rushed as some of the shorted PSAs.
But there’s no ignoring the obvious. It is 60 seconds of Melania Trump reading off a teleprompter. That is guaranteed to be bottom of the list.
Caring for Myself, Caring for Others (30 Seconds)
If it were just Elmo and his friends washing their hands to his song, it would be fine. But the PSA really emphasizes the noise of the handwashing. It’s like an ASMR video of someone cleaning out their ears.
Surgeon General High Risk (60 Seconds)
This one just drags and drags and drags like it will never end. Unfortunately, Jerome Adams is completely lacking in charisma. It is like listening to a Colonial Penn life insurance ad.
Time to Wash Your Hands (30 Seconds)
Another Sesame Street collaboration, this one has a chicken that interrupts every single Muppets task with a reminder to wash your hands in a parody of “U Can’t Touch This”. I hate this chicken. Anyone who’s personality is just repeating the same pop culture reference ad nauseum does not deserve rights.
Alone Together (15 Seconds)
The most basic of the Coronavirus PSAs. It is just animated text across a colorful background. It gets the point across, sure, but where is the pizazz? Where is the energy?
Protect Yourself – High Risk (60 Seconds)
Protect Yourself – High Risk (30 Seconds)
Protect Yourself – High Risk (15 Seconds)
It’s just incredibly dark graphics animated to oddly upbeat music. I guarantee that you’ve skipped it on a YouTube video already. All three of them are basically the same, but the shorter it is, the better.
Alone Together (30 Seconds)
Basically, the same as the 15 second ad, but it includes a bit of fire at the end that really helps set it apart.
Surgeon General If You Are Sick (30 Seconds)
It’s brief, barebones, and to the point. It may as well be the Ad Council’s always polite way of shouting stay at home.
Alone Together, Stay Home (60 Seconds)
For this one, the Ad Council assembled six of the most forgettable B-list celebrities in Hollywood to disseminate the same information that they do in all their other ads just now in a slightly more approachable way.
DJ Khaled, Noah Cyrus, Taylor Bennett, Nev Schulmann, Giannina Gibelli, Joey Sasso, Shubham Goel, and Michelle Williams (the third wheel of Destiny’s Child, not the actress) are not the people I want inspiring confidence in the American people.
Surgeon General High Risk (15 Seconds)
The High-Risk PSAs are the Goldilocks situation of the Ad Council output. There’s nothing too interesting about watching the Surgeon General stand in front of a camera and read out Coronavirus basics, but this one is too short to be much of a help.
Sneezing and Coughing Safely (30 Seconds)
One of the Ad Council’s partnerships with Sesame Street, this one sees a narrator instruct a weirdly smooth Grover on how to sneeze. And while I don’t want to body-shame, Grover’s body in this one is really off. There is not one bit of fur on him at all. It’s like he shaved from head to toe and it looks awful.
Surgeon General High Risk (30 Seconds)
Thirty seconds, however, is just right for the Surgeon General High Risk PSA. He doesn’t sound cut off like he does in the 15 second PSA or drone on like he does in the 60 second one.
Coronavirus – Elsa | Ending Hunger (30 Seconds)
Another animated text against a colorful background with serious music. This time, however, the PSA focuses on a different topic, food insecurity, a nice change of pace from all of the ones.
Surgeon General Social Distancing (30 Seconds)
This is the name-dropping PSA. It has all the heavy hitters. Coronavirus Response Coordinator Deborah Birx, Surgeon General Jerome Adams, even Dr. Anthony Fauci are all out here stuntin on the American people with thirty seconds of facts on how to limit the global pandemic.
Surgeon General Social Distancing (60 Seconds)
Nearly identical to the 30 second version but twice as long, so we get to twice as much as that sweet, sweet Fauci.
Washy Wash Song with Elmo (30 Seconds)
The latest addition to the 20 second hand-washing songs comes from a cheaply animated Elmo. The song has less than twenty lyrics, yet it is easy to get stuck in your head. Plus I’d support any video that comes with video that has chickens as backup dancers.
