1969 Advertising Council PSA for the U.S. Peace Corps

by G. Jack Urso

 

From the Aeolus 13 Umbra YouTube channel.

This 1969 Advertising Council Public Service Announcement (PSA) for the U.S. Peace Corps captures a bit of the zeitgeist of countercultural movement. The psychedelic imagery suggesting a mind-blowing experience is backed by the song “Aquarius” from the musical Godspell (though that’s not the Fifth Dimension performing it).

In addition to the song “Aquarius,” the PSA also drew inspiration from the cover art for the original Broadway cast album for Godspell (that’s musician Bert Sommer, who later relocated to my local Albany, NY, area, on the cover of the album).

Due to the use of the special effects, the PSA was first produced on videotape and then transferred to 16mm film for distribution. It was reportedly written and directed by Roger Flint in 1969 and was awarded a CLIO Award for special effects. PSA/PIF Wiki notes the effects were produced using scanimation, a process, according to parametrichouse.com, defined as “Barrier-grid animation or picket-fence animation is an animation effect created by moving a striped transparent overlay across an interlaced image.”

The actor reportedly is Michael Pascarella. Confirming the details of this PSA, however, proves to be challenging. There is not much in terms of independent sources to back up these details. Most of these details come from Michael Pascarella’s YouTube channel. Pascarella went on to a 50-plus year career creating some amazing art glass for interior design. 

Michael Pascarella with some of his art glass creations
(Architectural Art Glass YouTube channel). 

There is not much regarding Roger Flint’s work. He produced several shorts and documentaries, including one titled Star Spangled Banner that was awarded a 1971 Short Film Special Jury Prize at Cannes. His last production was reported in 1998.

I have a great fondness for PSA’s and commercials of the era as I have previous covered in my articles 1971 Keep America Beautiful PSA: The “Crying Indian,” 1971 Radio Free Europe PSA: “The IN Sound from Outside,” and the 1971 Coca-Cola Commercial: I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke. I’d even add 200 (1975): An Animated Psychedelic Bicentennial Tribute, which can be considered something of a long-format PSA.

The PSA was produced by the Ad Council, a private nonprofit that produces public service advertising, in conjunction with ad agency Young & Rubicam, Inc. which was contracted to work on the Peace Corps account; however, this was probably the last such production the ad agency worked on. According to a Dec. 27, 1969, New York Times report, the Ad Council “dropped” Young & Rubicam because “the Council decided to reduce the Peace Corps to ‘bulletin status’ on Dec. 19 because of the ‘pressure of new accounts.’” Bulletin status reduces the advertising efforts to a folder of promotional materials distributed to the media as opposed to the full media services provided by an advertising agency. The motivation for this move was the decision by the Peace Corps to shift its efforts from recruiting students with general skill sets to “technicians and specialists.”

What I find particularly compelling about this Peace Corps commercial is that it shows just how much American culture and technology had dramatically changed during the previous decade. It is almost impossible to image a similar PSA being produced in 1959, an era of Father Knows Best and Leave it Beaver, yet this PSA perfectly captures the spirit of times. Comparatively, despite the current political turmoil which easily equals the 1960s, the cultural change between 2016 and 2026 is almost inconsequential when compared to the decade between 1959 and 1969.

Behind all of this is a generation of youth who, seeing great change and conflict in the world, decided to confront it with peace and outreach, sharing the earnest best America had to offer.

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