Don't Read This

Amazing things happen when people get told not to do something. Like Adam and Eve. Thousands of years ago they decided to do exactly that. They did what they were told not to. Some would reason that most of our afflictions today are a direct result of their decision to do just the opposite of what they were told. But don't believe it.

Lots of people ever since have had far better luck when doing what they were told not to do. To them it's even become their most trusted inspirational conversation kick-starter. Of course little do they realise that many of us actually think to ourselves when they do this, 'I wish you hadn't.' Acting a different way to what you are initially told is normal. Don't feel bad. It's simply your natural inborn 'reactance responder' detecting the possibility of being coerced. In situations like this, don't do anything.

The Independent won a Grand Prix award at Cannes in 1999 with their Litany commercial. I'm sure that wasn't their intention. The 'Don't give us an award for this one' part must have been edited out.

The whole commercial was shot in black and white and shows various reportage images to illustrate every point being made. The concept is to show people how they are possibly victims of being showered with what to do or not to do. The insight that gets communicated through this is, people tend to do exactly the opposite. (Got to love reverse psychology)

The 1990's were however plagued with lots of tension which inevitably lead to this era in history demanding society to question its status quo. The Gulf War, The Chechen War, The Kargil War between Pakistan and India and The Yugoslav Wars to name some of the main conflict events. Political assassinations were also at the order of the day of which the deaths of Judge Giovanni Falcone and his co-worker and friend Paolo Borsellino orchestrated by the Mafia were especially tragic, both of them losing their lives in the fight against organised crime.

With this commercial, The Independent managed to position itself as a newspaper to free thinking people, at a time when people were especially susceptible to this kind of message. 
 

The simplicity of the ad in terms of cinematography, music, voice over, and it's relevance to a specific period in time all worked well together and resulted in a very professional end result. Surely winning a Grand Prix at Cannes is testament enough.