Simple Ad Displays Information Only to Children

A Spanish organization called the Aid to Children and Adolescents at Risk Foundation (ANAR, for short) has created an ad that uses some simple optical trickery to display differently for adults and children. The top layer of the ad’s graphic is lenticular (you may remember novelty toys that appear differently from different angles, and which have a coarse rough texture) displaying one of two images depending on the angle the ad is viewed at. Adults, viewing from a standing angle, will see a rather standard public service announcement image of a frowning boy with the caption “Sometimes, child abuse is only visible to the child suffering it.” Children, viewing from a lower angle, will see bruises appear on the boy’s face with an additional message — “If somebody hurts you, phone us and we’ll help you,” and a phone number. The solution is not flawless, given variations in height, and the potential for poor reading skills to affect the ad’s effectiveness, but its use of simple, existing technology is quite elegant and could certainly see a wide array of applications in other types of advertising.