5 High Impact Nuclear Commercials That Will Make You Demand A Nuclear-Free World

It’s been nearly 7 decades since the Hiroshima and Nagasaki nuclear attacks. And if there’s one positive that we can all take out from this historical event is that the world realized the menace of nuclear weapons and has never again gone back to using them. But with 9 countries possessing nuclear capabilities today, the need for complete nuclear disarmament is greater than ever. Thankfully, some brands echo this sentiment. Others at least agree on the massive destruction potential of nuclear weapons and have been at the forefront of spreading awareness on what to do in the event of a nuclear attack.

So, here we are today with 5 impactful nuclear commercials that ignited the fight for a nuclear-free world.

1. International Committee of The Red Cross: Live Or Die

What would you choose in the event of a nuclear attack? Life or death? While living might seem like the obvious choice, this thought-provoking advert by the Geneva-based humanitarian organization International Committee of The Red Cross will make you think otherwise.

The ad shows two young guys discussing whether they would choose to live or die in case a nuclear bomb were to go off. The first guy says he would want to live for a number of reasons ranging from not being able to see his family and not eating his favorite food to never traveling and falling in love again in case he died. Interestingly, the exact reasons that made the first guy want to live made the second guy want to die so that he doesn’t have to live without the happiness of enjoying these things again.

What would you choose? To live? Or die?

2. Bethesda Softworks: Atomics for Peace!

I’ll be honest with you; I have no clue why they came up with this advert but it surely fits into our narrative of nuclear disarmament.

This sarcasm-laden advert by the American video game publisher Bethesda Softworks presents a world wherein nuclear weapons have become so common that people can acquire them without much effort, which has consequently forced them to live inside nuclear-resistant vaults. As is the case with any conflict, people turn on each other in the face of this nuclear crisis.

Honestly, as wonderful as this advert might be, the mere thought of having to live in such a world sends shivers down my spine. I can’t even imagine living in such a place, can you?

3. U.S. Department of Defense: Duck and Cover

When you go around nuking other countries, you also always have to be on your toes lest you get nuked yourself! That explains why the American Defense Ministry had to come up with this 1951 PSA on how to keep yourself safe in case of a nuclear attack.

The ad begins with a turtle casually walking around when a nuclear bomb goes off, prompting the turtle to duck and take cover underneath its shell. The background narration then goes on for the next few minutes to advise people on what to do to protect themselves from nuclear attacks under different scenarios.

It isn’t exactly an advertising marvel but surely something that could keep people safe if they pay attention to what’s being said in the video.

4. NYC Emergency Management: So There's Been a Nuclear Attack

The threat of a nuclear attack can never be overruled, which explains why the NYC Emergency Management had to come up with this PSA in 2022- several decades after the 1951 PSA by the American Defense Ministry that we have covered above.

The 85-second video gives the usual tips on what to do to stay safe during a nuclear attack. But considering the nature and power of modern-day nukes, it’s worth wondering if these tips will be of any use after all. 

5. The Nation: No Safe Place to Hide

And here’s the last one and undoubtedly the most unfiltered of all these adverts. I said previously about the NYC advert above that these tips might not be useful at all. And this brilliant advert by the American monthly magazine The Nation further strengthens this belief.

This 100-second spot has a rather sarcastic take on the NYC PSA and claims that nowhere is safe in case you find yourself in the midst of a nuclear attack. While you might say that like the 2022 NYC PSA, even the 1951 PSA by the American Defense Ministry is useless, it’s worth noting that nukes today carry much more destructive potential than the ones from the 1950s.

The only way to be safe from a nuclear war is to ensure that it never happens in the first place!

Wrapping Up

And that’s a wrap of some of the best nuclear commercials. A nuclear war is a sure-shot way of complete annihilation. And no matter what you do to stay safe, the chances of your survival will always be slim in a nuclear attack. Hopefully, the ads covered in this blog will knock sense into the minds of the “powers to be” and we’ll never have to do any more blogs on this topic!

We’ll be back with more wonderful adverts for you. Till then, stay tuned!