Public Service Ads
Challenging social norms and addressing life-changing topics is one of the most rewarding parts of advertising for me. This collection showcases work that not only won awards but also shifted conversations on crucial issues like political perspectives, drunk driving, and mental health. Each piece here represents a step toward changing perceptions and making a real impact.
Campaign: MADDvent
Agency: DDB Canada
Role: Art Director
The Advent calendar raised awareness about drunk driving with a powerful twist: instead of treats, each flap revealed a tombstone bearing a victim’s name. By giving a face to these losses, the campaign emphasized the importance of responsible choices. Displayed in restaurant and bar washrooms, it stirred strong reactions, even prompting some to take it home. This award-winning campaign, celebrated with a Best of Show at the ACE Awards and extensive media coverage, served as a sobering reminder of the tragic impact of drunk driving.
Campaign: Lavatory Accidents
Agency: Calder | Bateman
Role: Art Director
“Lavatory Accidents” was a marketing campaign that was created when the team had zero budget for media. The concept involved physically colliding posters into bathroom fixtures such as urinals, hand dryers, and soap dispensers to give the appearance of a real, 3-dimensional crash. When the team presented the idea to bar and restaurant managers, they were enthusiastic and supportive. With the help of MADD volunteers, the posters were placed in washrooms throughout the establishments. The campaign was recognized with numerous awards, including Best of Show, Poster Series, Newspaper Single, Public Service Print, Guerrilla, and Out of Home Marketing.
Campaign: Don’t make it a grad to forget.
Agency: Calder | Bateman
Role: Art Director
This impactful campaign was designed to resonate with high school students and encourage responsible choices around alcohol. Displayed in school hallways before graduation and featured online and in newspaper entertainment sections promoting concerts, the campaign received an overwhelmingly positive response. We’re proud to support MADD's mission of promoting safety and preventing drunk driving.
Campaign: Real consequences
Agency: DDB Canada
Role: Art Director
Our campaign targeted drivers and pedestrians absorbed in their mobile devices with a clear message: keep your eyes on the road, not your phone. We placed bold posters and digital boards in high-traffic areas near universities and transit stations, aiming to alert younger, tech-savvy audiences to the dangers of distracted driving. This impactful campaign helped promote safe driving throughout the Prairie region.
Campaign: When you smoke so do our patients.
Agency: Calder Bateman
Role: Art Director
Capital Health needed a bold way to stop smoking on hospital property, so we created a striking poster. The image shows an underage girl appearing to hold a cigarette, but a closer look reveals it's an adult male’s arm. This powerful visual highlights the harm of secondhand smoke on innocent bystanders, making a strong impact and reducing smoking on hospital grounds.
Campaign: Checkstop
Agency: Calder Bateman
Role: Art Director
To remind drinkers of CheckStop season, we created a washroom poster for bars and restaurants, targeting wine drinkers who are often overlooked in awareness campaigns. Placed strategically, the poster had no headline, allowing people to focus on the message during their pause.
Campaign: CheckStop
Agency: Calder Bateman
Role: Art Director
To remind drinkers that it’s CheckStop season we created this bar & restaurant washroom poster. The objective was to capture the attention of wine drinkers, since wine is sometimes overlooked in awareness campaigns. Because of the unique ad placement we chose to have no headline—knowing people would have time to fixate.
Campaign: Noose
Agency: Calder Bateman
Role: Art Director
For a New Year’s Eve reminder, we created a haunting image—a champagne cork twist tie shaped as a noose. This quick, impactful visual was displayed in restaurant and bar washrooms across Alberta, contributing to a decrease in escalating casualties at the time.
Campaign: Skull
Agency: Calder Bateman
Role: Art Director
This haunting image, looking up as a graduating class tosses their caps skyward, served as a powerful reminder that saying goodbye once is hard enough. Designed as a hallway poster, the subtle skull shape becomes more visible from a distance, creating impact and resonance with a younger audience.