Finding ad inspiration is easy, but it can be more difficult to find inspiration for nonprofit advertisements.  Many popular online ad showcases do not include a “nonprofit” designation for browsing or searching, which means that on those sites you have to sift through seemingly endless pages of for-profit advertisements to find a few good nonprofit ads. Fortunately I stumbled on a few sites such as Osocio, a blog that features “the best of nonprofit advertising and marketing for social causes.” It’s a great place to start if you’re seeking creative inspiration for nonprofit ad design. Case in point: the following 30 creative nonprofit ad designs.

1.  National Agency for the Fight Against Illiteracy in France

This ad makes its point in the copy, which goes unread by too many.

 

2.  World Wildlife Fund

This WWF ad forms a polar bear, shaped by the continents.

 

3.  Endangered Wildlife Trust

How much of the world’s land is truly open to free-roaming animals? This ad tells a bleak story.

 

4.  Soa Acao Solidarity

This clever campaign urges the public to donate books rather than throw them away, and features homeless fairy tale characters to make its point.

 

5.  Stop The Violence

Anti-war sentiment expressed via  a tank made from bones.

 

6.  Red Cross

Red Cross used this design to promote blood drives to benefit Japan.

 

7.  Greenpeace

This set of creative door hangers educates individuals on specific rainforest issues.

 

8.  BikeNYC

This advertisement made it appear as though street paint was marketing bicycles as a preferred mode of transportation in New York City.

 

9.  War Child

This advertisement makes the point that it’s easy to convince children that killing is a game.

 

10.  Greenpeace II

Another Greenpeace ad, this time  the relatively simple lends itself to powerful copy.

 

11.  People for Corporate Tax Cuts

This tongue-in-cheek campaign demonstrates the hardships people have to face in order to provide corporate tax cuts for rich banks.

 

12.  MLC Community Foundation

Children with cancer can find every aspect of life difficult; often the things we take for granted.

 

13.  Peace Factory

Israel and Iran would be popular vacation destinations for each other, if only they could keep the peace.

 

14.  War Child II

Another War Child ad, this time promoting the idea that where childhood thrives, war does not.

 

15.  Freedom From Torture

The anti-torture organization places these ads in newspapers to gain awareness for torture victims.

 

16.  The Royal Parks Foundation

The Royal Parks Foundation encouraged the public to enjoy the great outdoors with this ad, which asks readers to ponder whether their lives are more interesting than a squirrel’s.

 

17.  Surfrider Foundation

The plastic-wrapped sushi demonstrates the dangers of dumping into the ocean.

 

18.  IFAW

IFAW asks if we’ll allow endangered species to extinct, so that the only thing left of them are their names.

 

19.  Greenfleet Australia

The human race should consider itself as part of the animal kingdom, not above it.

 

20.  Choose Health LA

This advertisement encourages the public to drink healthy beverages.

 

21.  Killed To Dress

A play on a well-known phrase creates meaning for this advertisement.

 

22.  OndAzul

This Brazilian-based ad campaign relates how ruining the environment has drastic consequences.

 

23.  Wildfires Burn More Than Trees

This ad promotes awareness of the fact that wildfires not only kill trees, but the animals that depend on them.

 

24.  Shared Responsibility

Demonstrates how the victims of cocaine aren’t limited to its users.

 

25.  Earth Love Foundation

It’s time to save the earth, starting now.

 

26.  Amnesty International

Amnesty International protested the 2008 Olympics in Beijing due to China’s history of human rights violations.

 

27.  UNICEF

UNICEF protested the recruitment of children as soldiers with this direct mailer.

 

28.  The Nature Conservancy

This nonprofit demonstrated that it works to care for animals with this advertisement.

 

29.  Doctors Without Borders

This ad served as a recruitment for physicians to join Doctors Without Borders.

 

30.  Save The Children

The only place we want to see this image is in a museum.