PSAs are great. Thumb socks are better. (1)
PSAs are great. Thumb socks are better.
Let's face it, PSAs aren't known for making us laugh. And DoSomething.org, an online advocacy group that
is raising awareness about the dangers of texting while driving,
says that "car crashes are the top cause of teenagers' deaths and
texting while driving increases the chances of an accident four
times." Yikes! Definitely not a laughing matter. Not done right,
some PSAs can make me tune right out and that makes me feel guilty
because these non-profits are the groups that really need their
messages to be heard loud and clear in order to make a
difference.
Fortunately, DoSomething.org set out to create a different kind
of PSA - one that people would laugh at! That's where NBC's funny
guys Joel McHale and Ken Jeong come in. Not only does this PSA feature two of the most hilarious guys on
cable TV, but the organization also invented thumb socks. Yes, itty
bitty socks that make it impossible to text!
The campaign started about a month ago with
PSAs running before movies, on Hulu and on Channel 1 in classrooms
across the country and from there demand for these funny socks
became so great that the site had to temporarily shut down! We're
talking over 30,000 pairs of thumb socks gone in a couple of week!
But DoSomething.org isn't just giving away the thumb socks; it's
asking users how they will use them. And the responses
offered from teens through photos, blogs and video are so comical that
they became as hilarious as the initial PSA.
I'm the first to admit that I love Jeff Winger and Señor Chang
on NBC's the Community, and nothing is funnier than socks on your
fingers, but that's not why I really love this campaign.
For me, it's the comic relief from a very serious issue. Just
because we're laughing, doesn't mean the message is taken
seriously
The moral of the story? PSAs are great, but thumb socks are
better. Let's take a page from DoSomething.org and create more than
a PSA, let's create a movement that starts with a good laugh.