Top 20 Most Disturbing PSAs Ever

Public Service Announcements can be delivered in a number of ways. Some of them can feel clichéd and ineffective. “Mistakes” thankfully avoids these pitfalls with a very strong, and very disturbing, message. This New Zealand PSA focuses on driving safety, and presents two motorists about to get into an accident. Before it occurs, however, the actors get out of their cars, and try to avoid the inevitable. Their conversation is heartbreaking, as one driver begs the other, who is going too fast, to slow down. The image of the first driver’s son in the backseat before impact makes things feel even more powerful. Ultimately, “Mistakes” gives viewers a lot to think about.

We the viewers actually don’t see any domestic violence occur during this public service announcement. However, what we hear sounds like more than enough. The titular “neighbors” hear it, too, and choose to try and ignore the sounds of fighting. The PSA’s underlying message is that “it IS your business,” namely that neighbors perhaps shouldn’t ignore serious situations so close to home. It’s a tough call for many of us to make, but the image of the neighbors going to bed, upset but ultimately doing nothing about what they hear? Well, it sticks with you, that’s for sure.

The Montana Meth Project has produced a number of dramatically dark PSAs over the years. All of them have done their best to showcase how methamphetamine use can ruin a person’s life. The “Kevin” PSA is short, but presents the violent and tumultuous aftermath of the title character’s meth use. It also introduces Kevin’s friend, who narrates the piece, and[1] who wasn’t there to say anything to Kevin about trying meth. The tagline “not even once” closes out the ad, but not before Kevin’s friend leaves us with concerned silence and an abject expression of sadness at Kevin’s situation.

PSAs take on many different tones, often depending on the decade in which they were produced. Public Service Announcements from the ‘70s and ‘80s were often…well, let’s say “less than subtle” with their messages. The American Medical Association’s “Stranger Danger” piece is a prime example. The unsettling background music sets the tone, as an otherwise unassuming man tries to lure someone who’s on her way to school away. The man’s friendly demeanor belies his dark intentions, and the fact that the PSA finishes in an open-ended fashion provides an even darker denouement. Will the girl get in the car? The American Medical Association wants you to make sure that she doesn’t.

The “VD is For Everybody” campaign was a far-reaching series of PSAs that made their way into both television and print mediums. This TV ad from 1969 actually feels relatively innocuous, but it’s the combination of intention and execution that makes it feel, well….just sort of icky. The ragtime tune is jaunty and light-hearted, while the actors in the PSA look like they’re just having a grand old time. They appear completely oblivious to the subject matter of venereal disease that’s swirling around them, and that’s not even mentioning the random baby that shows up?! Oh, 1960s…

The 1980s “War on Drugs” facilitated countless memorably disturbing PSAs about narcotic use. Sometimes, they even hired celebrities to drive their messages home. One particularly memorable example of this was when Pee-Wee Herman appeared in a stark, black set to talk to kids about crack cocaine. Two spotlights illuminate the insanely popular kids’ T.V. host, as he gets tonally (and totally) serious about highlighting the drug’s dangers. The ‘80s unfortunately saw its use reaching alarming levels in the U.S., and this disturbing PSA was just one of the ways officials attempted to combat and circumvent it during the decade.

There wasn’t only one public health emergency that received a disturbing focus within the world of 1980s PSAs. The “Bowling Death” ad took aim at another high profile health emergency: HIV and AIDS. The Grim Reaper here is legitimately terrifying and well actualized, as he takes aim at an arrangement of human bowling balls. The language used highlights the prejudices of the day, detailing how public fear of the disease initially only focused on homosexual men and intravenous drug users. Then, the more equally represented bowling balls showcase the wide variety of people who are affected by the disease, i.e. everyone. It’s dark, dreary and ultimately morbid stuff.

Be forewarned! If anthropomorphic puppet pills freak you out, then you may want to skip this PSA. The “We’re Not Candy” campaign was primarily focused on the New York City Metro area back in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. However, in the modern day, this WTF fever dream has been uploaded to YouTube for all to enjoy. The little blue puppets sing a friendly little song about how they’re not candy, and shouldn’t be ingested by those they’re not intended for. The open medicine bottle may appear inviting, but this PSA was intent on making sure that both parents and kids knew what was up.

Leave it to director David Lynch to turn an otherwise normal PSA about the dangers of littering, into a nightmarish hellscape. Lynch’s penchant for ambient, white noise soundtracks is the first thing we hear, as he shoots New York City in stark black-and-white. The PSA presents everyday littering as the absolute worst thing a human can do, while Lynch juxtaposes this with grimly shot sequences of NYC rats. Yup, the “Twin Peaks” director’s creative stamp is ALL over this one, and we honestly couldn’t be more stoked about it, if we’re being honest.

It’s the 1980s PSA that might’ve caused LITERAL nightmares for just about any kid unfortunate enough to catch it on television. The “Snake” commercial featured the titular, street-level dealer, seeking to peddle his wares to ‘80s kids everywhere. He makes his way through shadows and back alleys, eventually shifting into a creepy and horrifying snake monster. By the end, Snake has gone full serpent, stares right down the camera and tells kids everywhere that, “YESSSSSSS…..” he will ABSOLUTELY sell you some of his stash. Did it work? Well, the jury is still out, but we 100 percent NEVER forgot about this PSA, so it was doing something right!

There was a lot of controversy behind this PSA, both during its initial 2012 run, as well as when it resurfaced virally in 2015. This was due to the messaging at hand: that adults and parents should perhaps be held responsible for fostering bad eating habits in children. The PSA flashes back to life moments like excessive fast food, too much time playing video games, even candy rewards from a teacher for a job well done. It places personal blame on a lifetime of obesity, which doesn’t always track with every viewer. The first person imagery is unsettling, as are the depressing scenes in a doctor’s office. It’s thought-provoking stuff.

The Montana Meth Project returns once again to our list, this time with another unapologetically bleak PSA. The “Jumped” ad opens up with a young man getting violently attacked, after taking a shortcut on his walk home. The viewer soon realizes that this is all in the man’s mind, however, as we’re then brought to him alone, in a room, with methamphetamines. His face is visibly sick, the room is dark and dirty and the cinematography is suitably drab and gray. It’s the ultimate, unappealing PSA to describe the horrors of substance use disorder, both physical and mental.

So, first thing’s first. Is the CGI utilized by the United States Navy here in this PSA going to win any awards for quality? No, no it’s not. However, it does create a suitably disturbing idea behind what bath salts might do to the human body. Violent reactions and hallucinations are just some of what happens to the titular, first person protagonist in the ad. The actual PSA is fairly short and to-the-point, with the remainder being given behind-the-scenes footage and an in-depth explanation. Kudos to the Navy, however, for its decision to take the PSA’s production seriously.

The Workplace Security and Insurance Board of Canada spared no expense when it came to the harrowing nature of their PSAs. The “Prevent It” series was particularly effective at showcasing how an ounce of prevention could potentially save laborers from a deadly accident. The ads varied in severity when it came to their protagonists, with some making it out alive. Others, however, were not so lucky, including a man blown off the side of a building. Still another variant of the campaign saw a woman take a horrifying fall from a ladder. There’s even an impaling of a forklift operator. The WSIB weren’t messing around with these ads, and unsurprisingly we’re not going to show them in their entirety here.

This dramatic PSA from the UK asks a very important question: if you could see yourself, would you stop yourself? Specifically, this public service announcement focuses on abuse within relationships, and how familiarity can sometimes breed a sense of entitled contempt. The boyfriend in the PSA is watching himself from behind a glass partition, as he physically mistreats and mentally demeans his girlfriend. He desperately tries to get the attention of his other self, but it seems like it’s no use. The PSA asks the audience whether or not they’re able to take a step back and gauge their potentially disastrous actions before they occur.

We’ve showcased a lot of PSAs throughout this list that utilize shocking imagery in order to get their point across. None of that imagery, perhaps, is as shocking as what’s used for this ad from 2007. The PSA from Northern Ireland’s Road Safety Authority pulls absolutely no punches with its scorched earth approach to advertising: a road accident destroys the lives of nearly everyone in its wake. The effect is so disturbing, that it almost feels exploitative, yet there’s no denying it: “Mess” forever burns its imagery into the minds of its viewers.

Britain’s Central Office of Information features, within their archives, a treasure trove of classically creepy Public Service Announcements. “Lonely Water” might be among the best known of these, thanks in part to the inimitable voice of “Halloween” star Donald Pleasence. Pleasence plays The Spirit of Dark and Lonely Water, out to trap unwary victims playing in unsafe areas. Several young people drown on his watch before another is saved by the quick-thinking actions of some passersby. An annoyed Death proclaims “I’ll be back,” before disappearing in the wind, but not before this mental image is burnt, rent-free, in our heads forever.

Many PSAs fail to truly deliver the scares, thanks to the over-the-top and often comedic results of their overacting. This one is once again taken from Canada’s WSIB, and is among the most harrowingly realistic on this list. As a result, the sudden and shocking tonal shift from enthusiastic chef to burn victim gives us emotional whiplash. It’s such a brutal turn of events that’s sold one-hundred-percent by the performance of the lead actress. Her screams of pain and the well-actualized make-up effects on her burns leave us with a churning in the pit on our stomach, and a sense of unease that continues long after the PSA has ended that we’ll try our best to spare you of any lingering shots or sounds.

Consider this German PSA to be uneasy but necessary viewing. The creative forces behind the ad clearly knew what they were doing when they crafted an anthropomorphic tentacle representative of abuse and shame. The veiny and hairy tentacle makes an incredibly unsettling slithering noise, as it’s shown to follow a woman throughout her entire existence. This literal sex pest appears out to ruin every relationship in this woman’s life, and it never leaves her, until the character is finally shown in her coffin. “Dunkelziffer Tentacle” is insanely powerful, memorable and more than a little bit disgusting. And this was probably the intention, all along.

If you’re seeking out a PSA that’s unequivocally nightmare fuel, then look no further than this ad from the Finnish group, Fragile Childhood. The clip for “Monsters” shows us, in no uncertain terms, how children see their parents or guardians when they’ve been drinking. The incredible makeup effects range from a terrifying-looking bunny rabbit, to the Grim Reaper, a zombie and more. It’s all there to showcase how impressionable these young minds are, and how our behavior can wreak havoc with the development of those we’re supposed to hold dear. In this aim, “Monsters,” absolutely succeeds.