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The Most Powerful Ads Of Amnesty International

Looking at world events right now, this is a good time to take a look at these 25 hard-hitting ads.

1. The last meals of executed innocent men.

This campaign is via Amnesty International in Puerto Rico.

The starkness of the photography — including the standard issue prison food trays — makes for ads you cannot look away from.

Photography by: James Reynolds.

Here's three more of the ads from the anti-capital punishment effort.

2. It's true. And sad.

3.

Great artwork and logo use in these ads via the UK.

Stoning, above.

Waterboarding, below.

4.

5. 2008 ad via AI Belgium.

6. Brand new ad via the UK.

7. Simple art direction. Dead-on messaging. Via Puerto Rico.

8. Via Portugal. "He's done nothing. He's just showing Amnesty's phone number."

9. Amnesty was there and waiting in Amsterdam for a recent Vladimir Putin visit.

10.

Very timely campaign via Turkey.

The translation is a little off, but you get the idea:

Your words can have power.

Second ad below.

11.

12. Amazing piece of anti-war animation by Leo Burnett, Portugal. Us humans are real good at killing, ain't we?

View this video on YouTube

13. Another cool piece of animation by TBWA Paris — death to the death penalty.

View this video on YouTube

14. Via Argentina. Old style artwork is used to make a point.

15.

Brutal campaign via AI France.

Copy line: "300,000 child soldiers dream of simply being children."

Second ad below.

16.

17.

18. TV spot, via AI Canada, ahead of a scheduled massive write-in day.

View this video on YouTube

19. Via AI Germany, from 2012.

20.

21.

Powerful anti-China Campaign from 2008 that ran just ahead of the Beijing Summer Olympics.

Second ad below.

22.

23. Another pre-Beijing Olympics ad via Hungary.

24. An anti-Russia ad via AI France turns a Matryoshka doll into a bullet.

25.

View this video on YouTube

Lastly, here's a very realistic anti-torture video via the UK from 2007.

The torture interrogation techniques dramatized are "Stress Position" and "Belly Slap." How it works is, if the prisoner relaxes or falls from his position on the rickety cardboard boxes, he gets beaten. Detainees released from Guantanamo have reported use of the technique—and that the beatings were more severe than open-handed strikes to the abdomen.