Participants at a panel sponsored by Google and the Advertising Council talked about different approaches to embedding messages about social change in media like film and television as well as in advertisements.

Using movies to make a case for social change is “a great way to get people to the table,” said Wendy Cohen, director for digital campaigns and community at Participant Media

Among Participant productions are fiction films like “Contagion” and “The Help” and documentaries like “An Inconvenient Truth.” In some instances, Ms. Cohen said, the role of film to inform viewers about important issues is “taking the place of what we used to get in a reported piece.”

A success story for Bartle Bogle, Mr. Sjoenell said, was a campaign for the Google Chrome browser with a commercial devoted to the It Gets Better Project, meant to help gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender teenagers who have been bullied. The commercial ran in shows like “Glee,” Mr. Sjoenell said, during the National Basketball Association finals. “We got the message out to an audience that probably wouldn’t have paid attention before,” he added.