God Bless YouTube for all the great archiving that it does. While skimming the site I came across the legendary and classic Public Service Announcement (PSA) from Keep America Beautiful one of the best commercials in television history. Without any adieu, here is the original 60 second PSA spot: So what was it about this PSA that made it as endearing as it was? This was hardly a PSA that lasted only a few weeks and disappeared after having made a splash. No, this particular PSA aired on television for over a decade and it maintained the ability to resonate with audiences year after year after year. This brings up a number of interesting questions as to why the PSA was as successful as it was and what made it such a huge hit with audiences.

The answer to the question is obvious: it was the tear that made the PSA resonate so strongly with the audience. It simply was an ending that was completely unexpected and it resonated with audiences on an emotional level that was incredibly rare in something as common and benign as a commercial. More than just a mere PSA this spot was one that really resonated with audiences and truly captured much of the themes of the 1970's which was the decade when the EPA came into existence. Of course, this PSA had little to do with the inception of that agency, but it did have an effect on little kids who needed to here a basic message to not throw trash around the neighborhoods or on the roads. In that regard, it did work because as previously mentioned it is the simple methods and the little touches that can make something work.