Humane Canada's Powerful PSA Makes a Point on Disposable PPE

Humane Canada’s powerful new spot shows the importance of cutting facemasks strings in order to keep wildlife protected. Since the start of the pandemic, disposable facemasks have become a day to day regularity. However, the disposing of these masks has led to animals suffering the consequences. The PSA was directed by Someplace Nice's Vishan Butt. 

Director and DP Vishan said: “Not long into the pandemic I began noticing discarded masks littered everywhere; streets, parks, streams and lakes etc. Curious about the environmental impact of all the discarded PPE I discovered a multitude of images involving the tangling of wildlife in masks and other PPE, including the one used in this PSA. I wanted to visually represent the pain and discomfort an animal would endure while keeping it relatable to the viewer. Everyone has wrapped a rubber band around their finger at one point or another and it felt like a strong metaphor everyone could physically relate to.”

Jed Churcher, creative director, adds: “You could give people logical reasons to cut their mask strings, and some may do it. But when you serve it up in a way that makes people feel something, that makes a world of difference. The simplicity of the idea is what makes this come to life. By building a bit of tension and holding the reveal until the end, it lands the point in a way that you’d never be able to achieve with a straight-up message about the need to cut your mask strings. We’re bombarded with mask-related news and opinion pieces, so to cut through (so to speak) and land this important point about mask use, the idea needed to create an element of surprise.”

Tara Hellewell at Humane Canada said: “Humane Canada is grateful for the opportunity to share this important information with the public.  Caring for the wildlife we share this land with and ensuring its safe from discarded waste is everyone’s responsibility. We hope that this serves as a pressing reminder to dispose of PPE properly and cut those mask strings! You could save an animals life.”