We see a major shift in advertising. And, no, it’s not about digital, social or other tactics/channels. It’s about a mindset.

It’s about making the world a better place through advertising.

From the Contagious Magazine:

“Australia’s Transport Accident Commission (TAC) and the little-known town of Speedin Victoria has turned to Facebook to persuade people to slow down when driving. 

Working in conjunction with Naked Communications, Melbourne, the citizens of Speed have pledged to change the name of their town to ‘SpeedKills‘ if over 10,000 people ‘like’ their cause on Facebook.

With a population of just 45 people, Speed may look like the kind of place tectonic plates go to slow down, but that hasn’t stopped the local populace from mobilising to promote the  cause. The ‘Rename Speed’ page features locals taking part in slow races, playing slow songs, and generally getting behind the message of safer driving. 

Adam Ferrier, founding partner and consumer psychologist at Naked Communications commented, ‘People are used to government bodies telling them to slow down on the roads. we wanted to find a way to have this message endorsed by peoples’ friends and families – social media being the obvious environment.’

Remarkably, the campaign hit its target of 10,000 likes on the day of launch. To keep the momentum going, local farmer Phil Down has pledged to change his name to Phil Slow Down if the Rename Speed page tops 20,000 likes. With the page total currently at 17,466, it might be time for Phil to update his contact details…”

More and more brands are dedicating their ad dollars to improve the quality of life. More and more people in the ad world are dedicating their time to improve the quality of life.

Some people whisper about “ultimate cynicism” when talking about this advertising trend. Others hope for the maturation of the advertising mindset. Maybe companies just feel they have to say something else besides talking about themselves. Or maybe companies have seen the light and want to help create a better world.

No matter what: It’s a good thing. Stay tuned. More to come.