New Media Public Service Ad Project

Students of COM300, Fall 2005
Basic Concepts of New Media

Lea Werbel, Graduate Assistant and Project Manager
(lwerbel%u.washington.edu)

Dr. Philip Howard, Assistant Professor

Department of Communication
University of Washington

In the Fall of 2005, undergraduate students in the Department of Communication at the University of Washington produced over 60 public service ads using personal media such as camera phones, pdas, and simple computer software.  The university supported this project by providing funds to air the best of the ads, and an alumni committee of distinguished public affairs experts nominated these ads for airing on the local NBC affiliate, King5:

Carpool

Safe Sex

Human Trafficking

Unfortunately the ad on safe sex promoted condom use over abstinence, so the station would not air it.  But King5 staff were very gracious in helping us preparing these to meet the technical specifications for broadcast.  

Description of lab assignment.

Full list of public service ads.

The assignment was a kind of take-back-the-media exercise, and most used their cell phone cameras and laptop computers to produce ads on issues they cared about.  Along the way they practiced script writing, pitched concepts at each other, and developed some new technology skills.  Lea Werbel, a graduate student in the department and PSA expert from the Ad Council, managed the whole project. All in all the students produced 63 public service ads.  With the help of some alumni experts in television production, we selected the best five with pop, fizzle, and arc.