Skip School And You’ll Explode, Warns Australian PSA

By Erik Oster 

Production company Henry & Aaron are behind this (intentionally) over-the-top public service announcement for the Learn for Life Foundation.

In the spot, some youngsters who skip out on school (we learn later) for a day frolicking at the beach suddenly start exploding, body bits flying everywhere. The message “This is what happens when you slack off” ends the spot, suggesting that skipping school dramatically increases your risk of spontaneous combustion.

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Co-creator Henry Inglis told Uproxx that the spot he created with partner Aaron McCann was “about contradicting standard advertisements – it’s a bit of a f*ck you to advertising in general…It’s playing on those idealised commercials of people breaking free from their confines.” Set Yourself Free” also seems to be a self-conscious play on the historically anything-but-self-conscious ridiculousness of PSAs. Although “Set Yourself Free” is kind of funny, we have to wonder if the whole thing is just too ridiculous to get its message across — especially since, before they start blowing up, everyone seems to be having a really good time.

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