Like some of the other countries I have visited, and unlike the United States, I find that New Zealand does not sugar-coat the uglier parts of reality.  For example, there are actual photos of mouth, throat, and lung cancers on all packages of cigarettes and tobacco. And images of war and disease and injury are shown in the press.  The goal is to keep the public informed.

Along these same lines,  there are public service announcements (PSAs) nearly every television commercial break.  This is in sharp contrast to the advertisements pushing pharmaceuticals, banks, cars, sales, food, etc. on American television.  I am not sure if New Zealand simply does not have enough advertising companies or if they just prefer education over rampant consumerism.  *Just to be clear, I am not saying the United States does not have PSAs, and that New Zealand refrains from anything but PSAs during commercial breaks, since neither are true.  My observation is that there are many more PSAs (often back-to-back) and much less emphasis on consumer products in New Zealand.

A couple of the PSAs I have noticed (I’ve tried to add the actual video where available) :

1. “It’s not the drinking, it’s how we’re drinking” There are two PSAs I have seen revolving around this issue.  Kiwis love to party, and both of these ads show people drinking from the afternoon long into the night, doing things that harm themselves and others (fights, etc.), and feeling bad about it later on.
   
2. There is one promoting sunglasses use by kids, why it is important, and where you can take your kids to get them a pair.
3. Similar to #2, there are a few PSAa advocating the importance of making sure kids wear sunscreen.  It depicts a little girl getting badly burned by the sun while outside playing, and then fast-forwards to her life in her 50s when she has skin cancer.  There is another called “slip, slop, slap” in reference to applying sunscreen for both kids and adults.
4. There is one advocating breastfeeding is the best way to feed an infant.
5. I have seen two about the dangers of speeding:
   
   
6. There are several about water conservation; using a bucket to wash your car; only pouring biodegradable liquids down the drain; conserving water now for generations later.
7. There is one about putting smoke alarms in your house: “Not having working smoke alarms in your house is just plain stupid”.
8. There are two campaigning for people to learn how to swim (drowning is one of the largest causes of preventable death).
9. There is one that promotes milk or water instead of sugary beverages for kids:
   

These are the ones I have noticed, and I haven’t watched much TV.  I am guessing there are many more I have missed.  The bottom line is, production value aside, the message is good.  If people are going to watch TV, they might as well learn a thing or two, right?