Advertising justifies its existence when used in the public interest—it is much too powerful a tool to use solely for commercial purposes.

However, today, we hardly see advertising being used for any meaningful purpose. Most of the ads we see on television and in print tend to exploit that corner inside us which craves for products that we know deep down are of no use and are going to do us no good. Luckily for us, there are some agencies around the world that use advertisements to try and raise awareness about social issues we all should know about. Issues that are harming the environment, creating conflicts in the world, and harming our own personal health.

Here’s a look at 28 of these powerful and shocking advertisements. 

1. Smoking isn’t helping you add more candles to your birthday cake.

2. Stop hiding if you’re facing violence inside your home.

3. Let your children have a childhood they’d want to remember

4. It’s easy to drown after you’re a few drinks down. It’s important to stay cautious. 

5. Guns are not toys, children are not meant for wars.

5. When you kill adult animals, imagine what would happen to your children if you weren’t around.

6. If the ice caps melt, it’s not going to be good for anyone.

7. No, liking and sharing on Facebook isn’t helping.

8. Dying, or killing for faith, makes no sense.

9. Let’s not have our animals eat our trash. 

10. When you’re driving, please just drive. 

11. What if you were castrated like a pig or skinned like a mink.

12. Patience is a virtue, practise it on your children.

13. Stop the torture, already.

14. If you’re smoking, you’ve been enslaved by tobacco.

15. It is a vicious cycle. 

16. It’s high time we recognise that half our population is equal to the other half. 

17. Treat others the way you want to be treated.

18. Adopting a dog can have only positive side-effects.

19. Let’s stop using animals for our entertainment.

20. Killing reporters never does any good to anyone.

21. Get a voice, speak up. Report abuse.

22. Not the uniform a child should don.

23. You should understand what’s wrong.

24. Let’s stop glorifying unhealthy body standards.

25. Children are impressionable. 

26. You can call the firefighters, the animals in the forest can’t.

27. The fur should stay where it belongs.

28. Adopt a pet.

We just hope some of these force you to think about how you can help to change the world!