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persuasion notebook

Persuasion Notebook offers quick hits on the business of persuasion from The Globe and Mail's marketing and advertising reporter, Susan Krashinsky. Read more on The Globe's marketing page and follow Susan on Twitter @Susinsky.

Yes, it's a cliché that if you want to breed goodwill toward your ad, just toss a baby or a puppy into the mix. But for all that skepticism, the new campaign for People for Good just may bring a smile to your face.

People for Good, a just-for-kicks movement founded in 2011 by Toronto ad agency Zulu Alpha Kilo and media planning and buying agency Media Experts, makes ads encouraging people to be kinder to each other.

Its new TV campaign, which launched Monday and will run nationwide in English and French, shows babies juxtaposed with text descriptions such as "badmouths co-workers" and "gives other drivers the finger." The message: "No one is born bad."

The spot, encouraging people to "get back to good," will be followed up with a full campaign in June including ads in print, digital and billboards. People from ad agency Frank, Panic & Bob Editing, and the Eggplant Collective also donated their services.

And in case you're wondering, the final moment is a natural smile, said Zulu Alpha Kilo CEO Zak Mroueh – no digital retouching of the baby required.