As Americans gather at bars and in living rooms to watch the hugely popular college basketball tournament– often with a drink in hand– the Ad Council is launching a new series of public service advertisements (PSAs) for their ongoing “Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving” campaign. Impaired driving remains a persistent problem in the U.S., with over 10,000 people killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes in 2016, according to the Department of Transportation. That’s approximately one person every fifty minutes.
The new PSAs, which were produced pro bono by media agency OMD, encourage young men to examine their own behavior by amplifying social warning signs many already know and associate with impairment. Whether texting too many emojis or taking one too many selfies, these subtle “warning signs” are recognizable to the target audience and serve as cues not to drive home.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8288151-ad-council-buzzed-driving-warning-signs/
More than 40 million Americans are family caregivers, taking care of parents, spouses, partners, and other adult loved ones. To help caregivers get the support they need to take care of themselves and their loved ones, AARP and the Ad Council are continuing their successful Caregiver Assistance campaign with new PSAs, created pro bono by agency Spike DDB, designed to reach the underserved African-American caregiver population.
“Many people will spend more of their time and resources caring for their aging parents than they did raising their own children,” said AARP CEO Jo Ann Jenkins. “African-American caregivers are disproportionately affected as most are much younger than their white counterparts and often leave the workforce to provide care on a full-time basis. These new PSAs will help create greater awareness for caregivers who tackle tough issues every day, and provide information on the many resources that are available to help them meet their needs and those of their loved ones.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7980451-ad-council-aarp-caregiver-assistance-campaign/
Three of the Internet’s most beloved pets are teaming up to help the millions of cats and dogs in shelters and rescue groups across the country find loving homes. Fashion icon Toast Meets World, globally recognized pianist Keyboard Cat and life of the party Hamilton Pug are lending their star power to “Start A Story. Adopt,” a new public service advertising (PSA) campaign from The Shelter Pet Project, a collaborative effort between Maddie’s Fund®, The Humane Society of the United States and the Ad Council.
Toast Meets World, Keyboard Cat and Hamilton Pug receive millions of views, likes and shares on social media, but most people don’t know they were adopted. Created pro bono by J. Walter Thompson New York, these new PSAs share these pets’ unique stories, which all began in shelters and rescue groups, and highlight the special bonds between the pets and their families. Prospective owners are encouraged to visit TheShelterPetProject.org to learn more about the adoption process and search for adoptable pets at shelters and rescue groups near them. Adoption advocates are also encouraged to support the effort on social media by using the hashtag #StartAStoryAdopt to share stories of how their shelter pets changed their lives for the better and to encourage others to start their own stories by adopting an amazing shelter dog or cat today.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7747051-ad-council-shelter-pets-project/
Losing weight and being healthier are at the top of everyone’s New Year’s resolutions. But, despite the best intentions, work, kids, and social events often push lifestyle changes to the bottom of the list. While many are familiar with type 2 diabetes, fewer are aware of prediabetes, a serious health condition that affects 86 million Americans (more than 1 in 3) and often leads to type 2 diabetes. People with prediabetes have higher than normal blood glucose (sugar) levels, but not high enough yet to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
To raise awareness and help people with prediabetes know where they stand and how to prevent type 2 diabetes, the American Diabetes Association (ADA), the American Medical Association (AMA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have partnered with the Ad Council to launch the first national public service advertising (PSA) campaign about prediabetes. The PSA campaign, featuring first-of-its-kind communications techniques, was developed pro bono by Ogilvy & Mather New York for the Ad Council.
Nearly 90 percent of people with prediabetes don’t know they have it and aren’t aware of the long-term risks to their health, including type 2 diabetes, heart attack, and stroke. Current trends suggest that, if not treated, 15 to 30 percent of people with prediabetes will develop type 2 diabetes within five years. The good news is that prediabetes often can be reversed through weight loss, diet changes and increased physical activity. Diagnosis is key: research shows that once people are aware of their condition, they are much more likely to make the necessary lifestyle changes.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7731551-ad-council-prediabetes-psa/
The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, a national nonprofit dedicated to reducing substance abuse among adolescents, today launched a new multimedia campaign for teens that illustrates some of the pressures they face, including peer pressure to drink and use drugs, issues with body image and bullying, among others. The “Who Controls You” campaign breaks this month and was created pro-bono by advertising agency, Hill Holliday and award-winning, social media influencer, Maris Jones, as part of the Partnership’s Above the Influence (ATI) teen program.
“We are incredibly proud of this work. We struck gold when Hill Holliday collaborated with Adolescent Media and Maris Jones to bring this campaign to life,” said Chief Marketing Officer for the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, Kristi Rowe. “Partnering with a young, talented social media influencer like Maris lent such a unique and authentic voice to this effort. Combining the extraordinary insight and passion of the Hill Holliday team with Maris’ distinct artistry brought an unexpected style to the campaign that makes this creative truly break through.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7103751-drug-free-partnership-who-controls-you/
In a groundbreaking effort to empower teens to speak up when they see bullying, the Ad Council and an unprecedented coalition of media, corporate and non-profit partners are launching I Am A Witness, a digital-focused campaign featuring a new eye emoji supported by the Unicode Standard, and is now available on iPhones running iOS 9.1. The emoji will also be featured in the I Am A Witness app, available on the App Store and on Google Play, which offers a downloadable keyboard developed pro bono by Snaps. The emoji, shaped like a speech bubble with an eye in the center, enables teens to take a stand against bullying and show support for someone who is being bullied. The campaign launch coincides with Bullying Prevention Month.
The I Am A Witness campaign was developed pro bono by Goodby Silverstein & Partners in collaboration with Adobe, Apple, Facebook, Google, YouTube, Johnson & Johnson and Twitter. Each partner will be providing significant exposure and customized content on their platforms. The campaign also includes activations on platforms including BuzzFeed, Instagram, Kik, Pandora, Snapchat, Tumblr, Vevo, We Heart It and Whisper. Additionally, non-profit partners have offered their expertise and resources, including The Bully Project, GLSEN, PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center and The Trevor Project.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7658451-ad-council-anti-bullying-campaign/
In an effort to support the 42.1 million caregivers in the U.S. who are caring for parents and older loved ones, AARP and the Ad Council are unveiling a new series of public service advertisements (PSAs) as an extension of their ongoing Caregiver Assistance Campaign. The campaign, created pro bono by agency DDB New York, is supported by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB), and the Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA) who are urging their members to run the spots in the weeks leading up to both Mother’s Day and Father’s Day this year.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7514151-ad-council-caregiver-assistance/
UNCF and the Ad Council are joining Paramount Pictures to launch a series of public service advertisements (PSAs) featuring footage from the upcoming film SELMA and original music written for the film by Common and John Legend. The :30 television spot, created pro bono by Paramount Pictures, will air on television stations in donated media around the country starting this week.
The PSAs are an extension of UNCF and Ad Council’s Better Futures campaign which aims to help African American students get to and through college by demonstrating how an investment in young people is an investment in all our futures. The campaign is a focused effort to remind Americans that their investments in education can change the life of a well-deserving student, and more importantly, the lives of generations to come.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7390751-uncf-ad-council-join-paramount-pictures-to-close-the-african-american-college-completion-gap/
Smokey Bear, one of the most well-known icons in advertising history, is starring in a new round of public service advertisements (PSAs) to celebrate his 70th birthday and further his famous message, “Only You Can Prevent Wildfires.” The Ad Council, the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters (NASF) are announcing the new television, radio, print, outdoor and digital PSAs in advance of Smokey Bear’s birthday on August 9. Created pro bono by FCB West, the campaign features Smokey Bear awarding “Bear Hugs” for safe fire practices and directs audiences to visit www.SmokeyBear.com.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.multivu.com/mnr/7201651-ad-council-smokey-bear-70th-birthday-wildfire-prevention-psa
To coincide with the start of a new school year and Attendance Awareness Month, the Ad Council and U.S. Army are releasing a series of new public service advertisements (PSAs) addressing the importance of regular school attendance in middle school in order for students to stay on course to graduate high school. Created pro bono by Publicis Kaplan Thaler, the PSAs illustrate the fact that every absence, in any grade, excused or not, can negatively impact a child’s academic achievement and put their high school graduation at risk. To help parents keep track, two tools are being offered on the campaign website: a “Text2Track” mobile SMS program and a redesigned Attendance Calculator.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/63028-ad-council-boost-attendance-absences-add-up
The UNCF in partnership with the Ad Council, announced today the launch of Better Futures, a national multimedia public service effort that will build on their 41-year old campaign to help African American students get to and through college.
Created pro bono by Y&R, new Better Futures PSAs transform the idea of donating to a cause to a more powerful idea of investing in the future, including the introduction of a stock for social change, where people can see the direct social return of their investment. Economists were consulted for the campaign and developed an algorithm to show the social return of donating just $10 to UNCF, including the impact on earnings, crime savings and health savings.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/61200-uncf-ad-council-better-futures-campaign-african-american-education
Beginning today and airing throughout the week, NBC’s TODAY will debut a series of television public service ads, (PSAs) featuring TODAY’s anchors, on behalf of four social issues—fatherhood involvement, hunger prevention, emergency preparedness and shelter pet adoption. The ads were created pro bono by leading advertising agencies throughout the country in partnership with the Ad Council, a non-profit and leading producer of PSA campaigns for over 70 years. TODAY’s anchors personally selected the social issues they are supporting among the Ad Council’s 50 national campaigns, and participated in brainstorming sessions with the ad agencies to help inform the creative.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/60173-ad-council-nbc-today-show-anchors-lauer-guthrie-roker-morales-psas