These terrifying PSAs prove that fear, like shock, is an excellent way to grab attention. The ad campaigns, viral videos, billboards, and interactive installations above are gory, heart-wrenching, and downright frightful, with imagery that won't be immediately forgotten.
From domestic abuse to child trafficking, the environment, and drug use, the terrifying PSAs below are sure to scare you straight.
Implications - Shock factor is a tactic used by marketers to deliver a message that has upsetting topics. Through unique campaigns that evoke emotions within the viewers, advertisers capitalize on those feelings. Additionally, the more shocking the advertisement is, the more likely it will resonate in the audiences' minds, making the idea of terrifying the audience a useful tactic.
30 Terrifying PSAs
Raising Awareness, From Bleeding Billboards to Shocking Skinned Polar Bears:
Marissa Brassfield — May 2, 2010 — Social Good
30
Shockvertising
Does It Work? Jury Still Out
29
Powerful PSAs
Sexual Abuse
28
Cattle Branding Kids
Shocking Ads Portray Impact of Child Abuse
27
Disturbing Anti-Drug Ads
Montana Meth Project
26
Visually Disturbing PSAs
Juvenile Protective Association Ads Show Effect of Verbal Abuse
25
Shockvertising Smokefree Campaign
NHS: Get Unhooked
24
Gory Workplace Safety Ads
Using Awful Accidents to Raise Awareness
23
Gruesome Shockvertising
A Texting While Driving PSA Shows Horrific Realism
22
Child Shockvertising in PSAs
Anti-Smoking Ads Feature Kids with Adult Hands Holding Cigs
21
Child Poverty Shockvertising
The Barnardo Campaign Against Child Poverty Raises Eyebrows
20
Blood Spurting PSAs
The Bangalore Police Ad Campaign Targets Cell Phone Driving Enablers
19
Powerful PSAs
Smoking is Murder
18
Freefalling Safe Sex Ads
Use Condoms Campaign
17
Bleeding Billboards
Shocking Approach to Promote Road Safety in New Zealand
16
Reverse Psychology PSAs
Don't Vote Campaign Shows Killer Oil Prices
15
Stomach-Churning Safety Ads
Australian Worksafe PSA
14
Skinned Polar Bears for Global Warming
Visceral Friends of the Earth PSA
13
Eco Shockvertising
Moms Against Climate Change Tug at Heartstrings
12
Drug Addicts As Animals
Spoof Wildlife Doc as Viral Anti-Drug Ad
11
Abused Women as Dolls
Dar Al Amal Public Awareness Ad
10
Hygienic Shockvertising II
Carre Fresh: Wipe Whatever You've Touched
9
Animal Cavities For Smuggling
Anti-Cocaine PSA Featuring Pablo the Drug Mule Dog
8
Women as Pieces of Meat
Urging Men to Speak Out on Domestic Abuse
7
Suicidal Anti-Smoking PSAs
Thought-Provoking Help Line Ad
6
Adults With Childhood Abuse
ASCA PSAs Show the Need for Counseling
5
Awareness For Signs of Sexual Abuse
'Open Your Mouth' PSA
4
Visceral Shockvertising
The Catalonian National Theatre's Heart-Rending Ad
3
Shocking POV PSAs
'Animal Visuals' Gives You a Bird's Eye View Into Egg Industry
2
Terrifying Rainfall PSAs
The Solidarite Water Billboard Will Shock You
1
Overzealous PSAs
1979 Swine Flu PSA Evokes Laughter Instead of Fear
Related Ideas
Stress-Reducing Garbage Initiatives
The Hefty Brand Launches its 'Trash Time Out' Campaign
Fabulous Fashion Ad Campaigns
The Balmain Spring 2024 Ad Campaign Features Gisele Bündchen
Playful Pet Accident Campaigns
IKEA Unveils the Don't Worry, You Can Afford It Campaign
Aggressive Athlete Ads
Nike Launches the Winning Isn’t for Everyone Campaign
AI-Generated Ketchup Ads
Heinz Designed an Advertisement Using the Slogan 'It has to be Heinz'
Anti-Consumption Natural Ads
The 'Girls Just Wanna Grow Plants' Ad Aims to Reducing Consumption
AI-Lead Car Ads
Ford Launched an AI Campaign Dubbed 'Be Surreal, Be Ford'
Halloween-Inspired Pretzel Campaigns
Snyder’s of Hanover Debuts the 'Pretzelface' Campaign
Clear In-Game Billboard Advertisements
SCS Software's Truck Simulator Uses Real-Life Advertising
Ingenious De-Influencing Ads
Cuyana's De-Influencing April Fool's Campaign Highlights Greenwashing
Film-Inspired Condiment Ads
GUT New York Forms the Heinz Smiles Campaign to Celebrate Joker 2
Groundbreaking AR Posters
Wall's Out-of-Home Ads Make AR Experiences Unmissable with WinDOOH Tech
Hug-Inspired Olympics Campaigns
Coca-Cola's Summer Olympics Campaign was Inspired by True Events
Uplifting Social Media Campaigns
Optimism Your Feed Helps Social Media Users Retrain the Algorithm
Emotional Poeticized Motorsport Campaigns
Honda Debuts the 'Unstoppable Dreams' Campaign
Ketchup Dispenser Billboards
'Smack for Heinz' Helps Fans Complete Meals with a Favorite Condiment
Athlete-Backed Shoe Campaigns
Nike Released Awaken Your Madness with International Soccer Players
Naturalistic Taco Stand Campaigns
Coca-Cola Launched a Street Photography Campaign in Norway
Distorted Burger Campaigns
Burger King's A.I.LLOWEEN Features Unsettling People Eating Burgers
Mental-Health Awareness QSR Packaging
McDonald's Alters Its Happy Meal Boxes for Mental Health
In-Game Billboard Advertising
Gameloft Enables Partners to Advertise Natively in its Games
Color Blindness-Exclusive Billboards
TD Unveils a Campaign to Highlight Its Accessibility Adapter
Purposeful Consumer-Focused Campaigns
IKEA's Sleepfluencers Campaign is a Clever Way to Give Back
Meditative Trash Campaigns
Hefty's Trash Time Out Provides Support During the Holiday Season
Age-Appropriate Skincare Campaigns
Dove's #TheFaceof10 Addresses Unsafe Gen Alpha Skincare
CGI-Created Fashion Campaigns
Coach's Find Your Courage Campaign Stars Virtual Human imma
Engaging Shelf Displays
Netvisual is Elevating In-Store Advertising with its Shelf Edge Displays
Hug-Activated Marketing Machines
UNIQLO France and The Pull Launch the Hug to Unlock Ad
Employee Fragrance Campaigns
Lidl's Fragrance Campaign Features Local Talent with Celebrity Names
Athletic Apparel Interactive Billboards
Gymshark Unveils the Shoplift Campaign Ahead of Sale
Humorous Payment Campaigns
Paypal's Latest Campaign Features Actor Will Ferrell
QSR Menu Billboard Campaigns
Burger King Shows Real Burger Sizes with Real Size Campaigns
Soil Erosion Awareness Sandwich Ads
Hellmann's Aims to Save Sandwiches from Extinction
Seasonal Phone Booth Activations
Spotify's Q4 is Calling Urges Brands to Start Holiday Advertising
Convention-Challenging AC Campaigns
Samsung's WindFree Ad Stars a Savvy Grandma-Fluencer
Provocative AR Campaigns
NotCo's 'Not So Happy Animals' Presents Food Logos in a New Light
Gen Alpha Marketing Campaigns
Claire's is Targeting TikTok Growth for its Latest Ads Spending
Anti-Greenwashing Soap Ads
Navigating Eco-Consumer Irony with Better Climate Store's "Greenwash"
Nature-Reconnecting Outdoor Campaigns
Mammut Encouraged People to Reconnect with Nature
Sensorial Horror-Inspired Hard Ciders
Angry Orchard Introduced its Hide & Shriek Prank Pack
Influencer-Inspired Ads
Tomcat's Ad Shows an Influencer Mouse with a Fatal Unboxing Twist
Eerie Film-Based Deodorant Campaigns
Secret Deodorant Debuts a Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Commercial
Architecture-Inspired QSR Ads
This New McDonald’s Campaign Encourages Eating at Home
Marketer-Targeted Cereal Ads
Surreal's Out-of-Home Campaign Speaks to Marketers, Not Consumers
Hydrating Outdoor Billboards
Gatorade's BPM Pay Panels Replenish Urban Athletees on the Go
Therapeutic Nature-Inspired Campaigns
Craghoppers Introduces Its Autumn/winter 2024 Campaign
AI-Generated Holiday Soda Ads
The Coca-Cola Holidays Are Coming Ad Has Been Updated with AI
Futuristic Shapewear Ads
Skims' First-Ever TV Ad, Skims Lab, Stars Kim Kardashian in Every Role
Gen Alpha Fitness Influencers
ASICS' Little Reminders Inspires Adults to Make Movement Joyful
Scented Fast Food Billboards
McDonald's Set Up a French Fry-Scented Billboard
Pollution-Removing Murals
This Campaign Sucks by Dentsu Brings Awareness to London's Air Quality
Shoppable CPG Ads
Instacart-Powered Shoppable Video Ads are Coming to YouTube
Creator-Friendly Initiatives
Patreon Lights Up Times Square with Creator-Centric Billboard
Visual Museum Campaigns
MoMA’s New Museum Campaign Transforms NYC into an Art Lover’s Paradise
Cancer Awareness CPG Packaging
This Unilever Pink Packaging Marks Breast Cancer Awareness
Anthropomorphic Store Campaigns
IKEA's Short Social Films Promote Its Click-and-Collect Service
In-Game Advertising Services
StackAdapt Offers Engaging Game Advertising for its Clients
Perception-Challenging Art Exhibitions
Raise the Moral Studio Presents the Becoming Familiar Show
Erectile Dysfunction Medication Ads
Phoenix Wants to Help Canadian Men ‘Rise Again’
Water Digital Wallet Loyalty Cards
Liquid Death Has Introduced the Liquid Death Country Club
Domestic Awareness Campaigns
IKEA Australia Presents the This is Not a Home Campaign
Provocative Guerrilla Campaigns
Jewelry Brand MWCurated Uses Fake Infidelity Flyers for Marketing
Eco-Minded Millennial Ads
Coors Seltzer's 'Call to Inaction' Campaign Aims to Save Water
Pet-Equality Campaigns
Pet Ownership Rights Take Center Stage in Innovative Campaign
Footballer-Backed Global Campaigns
Pepsi Unveils the 'Where There's a Ball There's a Way' Campaign
Co-Branded Custom Ads
Lexus and Universal Pictures Partner for the 'Experience OZmazing' Spot
Heritage Brand Boot Ads
Blundstone Launches Global Campaign Celebrating Personal Boot Stories
Stuttering Awareness Initiatives
The Canadian Stuttering Association & john st. Launch a Campaign
Adorable Holiday Campaigns
Burberry's Holiday Campaign Spotlights Dogs and Ducklings
Nature-Emphasizing Outdoor Campaigns
Craghoppers Introduces Its Spring/SSummer 2024 Collection
Streetside Challenge Billboards
Gymbox Start Line Encourages Passersby to Try a Short Dash
Kindness-Encouraging Soda Campaigns
The Coca-Cola 'The World Needs More Santas' Ad is Festive
Scream Queen Skincare Campaigns
philosophy and Sarah Michelle Gellar Partnered for a Retinol Ad
Mystery-Style Holiday Ads
Waitrose Adds Mystery to the Festive Season with ‘Sweet Suspicion’ Ad
Nostalgic Fragrance Campaigns
Impulse & Frankie Bridge Faithfully Recreated Iconic 90s Looks
Quirky Plant-Based Food Ads
Gosh! Food's Falafel Advertisement is Surprising
Ethical Tea Branding
Typhoo Fear Free Tea Promotes its Mission to End Sexual Violence
Peaceful Holiday Ads
IKEA's Take A Holiday From The Holidays Reminds People to Find Calm
All-Dark Marketing Campaigns
IKEA Introduces its Darkest Campaign Yet with Try Oslo's Help
Suicide Prevention Campaigns
To Write Love on Her Arms Launches the Please Stay Alive Campaign
Sensory Explorative Art Exhibitions
Chromasonic Presents the Making Sense of Color Exhibition
Peeling Cheese Packaging Billboards
This Babybel Billboard is Inspired by the Product's Packaging
Travel-inspired Brand Campaigns
Michelin Launches the On the Road and Beyond! Campaign
Artistic Multi-Beverage Ads
The Coca-Cola Family is Spotlighted in this Unique Ad
Inspiring Daily Bodycare
method's Unleash Your Inner Shower Celebrates Personal Transformations
Responsible Alcohol Consumption Campaigns
Absolut's Call It a Night Campaign Promotes Safety
Socially Supportive Retailer Promotions
Wawa 'Buy a Kids Meal, Make an Impact' is Supportive
Living Condition Awareness Dollhouses
IKEA's UNWELCOME HOME Doll House Brings Awareness
Artful Illusory Ads
giffgaff's Large-Scale Illusion Artwork Challenges Inattentional Blindness
Anniversary-Celebrating Storytelling Ads
The Walt Disney Company Mark Marvel's 85th Anniversary
Abuse Awareness Beauty Initiatives
YSL Beauty Recently Partnered with Women's Shelters Canada
Street Artist Digitalized Exhibitions
LG OLED and Shepard Fairey Showcase Digital Street Art
Emissions-Minded Food Campaigns
This Meatless Farm Campaign Boasts Reduced Emissions
Recycled Ad Campaigns
Mars is Reusing Fan-Favorite Ads to Bring Attention to Climate Change
Champion Tax Ads
H&R Block's Ads Claim All Users are Tax Champions
Interactive Transparency Tracking Tools
World Animal Protection Canada Monitors Wildlife Incidents
Stigma-Breaking Motherhood Billboards
Molly Baz and Bobbie Send a Message of Empowerment
Reality-Bending Car Ads
CarGurus Ad Features Melting Lego and Gourmet Chef Toddlers
Scannable Skincare Murals
The Ordinary's Interactive Augmented Reality Mural Promotes Bodycare
Playful QSR Campaigns
Cossette Forms the New McDonald's Campaign to Closest Restaurant
Fan-Fueled Skincare Campaigns
'Peculiar Behavior' Shows the Wild Passion of the e.l.f. Community
Global Storytelling Initatives
Vans Announces its Narrative-Centric Always Pushing Campaign
Inclusive Voting Campaigns
The Body Shop Worked with Apathy is Boring to Improve Voter Turnout
Hard-To-Read Health Campaigns
A Specsavers Campaign Encourages Movie-Goers to Check their Sight
Skincare Investment Campaigns
Kiehl's Skin-Vestment Pairs Skincare Solutions and Financial Jargon
AI-Powered Pain Visualization Experiences
Panadol Hosted the Art of Release Experience
AI Email Marketing Campaigns
Emotsy Creates Personalized Campaigns for Stronger Digital Connection
Hyper-Local Gym Ads
GymBox's Made for London Life Ads Juxtapose City Living and Gym-Going
Cheeky Series Star Campaigns
MTN DEW Debuts a New Superbowl Ad with Aubrey Plaza
Influencer-Starring Car Commercials
Toyota's New Short Film Seeks to Resonate with Gen Z Customers
Bizarre Soda Campaigns
Dr Pepper's Try More Weird Disrupts Life's Boredoms with Weirdness
Alternative Butter Ads
Lurpak's Crush Expectations Redefines Plant-Based as Edgy, Not Earthy
Life-Saving Nail Stickers
Melanoma UK’s Beauty Spotters Campaign Boosts Acral Melanoma Awareness
Empowering Mental Health Football Ads
adidas Debuts Short Film 'You Got This'
Influencer Management Tools
Ogilvy Offers a Safety and Risk Management Tool for Marketing Brands
Skateboarding-Inspired Ads
Vans Launched the ‘Always Pushing’ Ad Highlighting Skating Culture
Gruesome Horror Film Soaps
The Terrifier Blood & Bubbles Soap is Officially Licensed
Ice Cream-Inspired Superbowl Campaigns
Häagen-Dazs Aims to Connect with Younger Consumers
Creative Sun Safety Installations
Giant Beach Installation is a Reminder to Practice Sun Safety
Interactive AR Galleries
Chips Ahoy's Happy By Design Campaign Spotlights Multicultural Artists
Athlete-Inspired AI Brand Campaigns
AngelAi Taps a Groups of Athletes to Promote Its Ethos
Athlete-Backed Mental Health Campaigns
The Love, Your Mind Campaign Aims to Support Mental Health
Redirected Movement Campaigns
Asics' 15MinuteWeightLoss Challenges Rapid Weight Loss Content
Empowering Soccer-Inspired Campaigns
Gatorade Has Partnered with Renowned Soccer Icons
Vibrant Runner-Targeted Commercials
PUMA Southeast Asia Debuts a Community-Based Video Campaign
Disaster Relief-Supporting Pr Initiatives
Publicity for Good Supports Hurricane Helene Relief
Mango-Scented Newspaper Ads
Swiggy Instamart Launched a Scented Campaign in the Times of India
Contemporary Classic Horror Games
Still Wakes the Deep Immerses Players in a Scary Game
Efficiency-Driven Digital Ad Solutions
ShopLiftr is Revolutionizing Digital Advertising
Empowering Consumer-Centric Campaigns
Which? Launches a Festive Campaign to Empower Shoppers
Car Safety-Promoting PSAs
The Ad Council and NHTSA Have Launched a New Never Happens Campaign
Comedic Groundhog Day Campaigns
Lay's Flavor for Days Campaign Taps into Groundhog Day
Billboard-Transformed Tent Shelters
Wunderman Thompson Morocco Creates the Life-Saving Outdoors
Debunking AI Apps
BSBot Helps Publicis Clients Tell the Truth About AI from Fiction at Cannes
Mobile Device Addiction Campaigns
The Women's Brain Health Initiative Highlights a Growing Concern
Subtle Marketing Pop-Ups
FOMO Nudge Encourages Users to Buy with Subtle Pop-Ups
Love-Centric Public Service Announcements
Ad Council & R/GA Debut the Love Has No Labels Campaign
Provocative Eco Screensavers
Planet-Saving Screen Savers Encourage Switching Off Devices
Grocery Store Ad Spots
Morrisons, the UK Supermarket Chain, Celebrates Its Low Pricing in This Ad
Blood Center Campaigns
Markham Yard Releases the Blood Center Campaign to Inspire Donations