In advertising we trust

Smokey Bear, McGruff the Crime Dog, and the Crash Test Dummies have a lot in common (aside from serving as stand-ins for our largely friendless childhood). Alongside other favorites like the Crying Indian, these icons of advertising entrenched themselves in the cultural lexicon and had an impact on the way we behaved as a country. When we heard their messages, all of a sudden pollution and burning down forests seemed a little less appealing. Many of the Ad Council's original public service announcement works will be on display starting today in an exhibit called "Advertising That Changed the Nation." Today 8:30 a.m.-8 p.m. (show runs through June 30). Free. The Gallery on the Plaza, the New England Institute of Art, 10 Brookline Place West, Brookline. 617-582-4617. artinstitutes.edu/boston