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/
All natural disasters, including the recent hurricanes, are a reminder how swiftly emergencies and disasters can happen. To address the fact that less than 50 percent of households have developed an emergency plan and discussed it with their families, FEMA and the Ad Council are working to inform and encourage all Americans to plan ahead for disasters. FEMA and the Ad Council are announcing the release of new public service announcements (PSAs) as part of the Ready Campaign to conclude National Preparedness Month. The PSAs, “Disasters Don’t Plan Ahead. You Can.” encourage families to take time to talk about their emergency plans – what to do, where to go for an evacuation or shelter-in-place, and how to get in contact in the event that you are separated in a disaster or emergency.
“Preparedness is a shared responsibility. It’s important to be aware of your local hazards,” said FEMA Acting Deputy Administrator for Protection and National Preparedness Katie Fox. “The first step to preparing for a disaster doesn’t cost anything – talk to your family and make a plan for evacuation, shelter and communication. Discuss what you will need. You can also take training or a CPR course to help yourself and others.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8170051-ad-council-fema-ready-gov-national-preparedness-month-disaster-plan/
Four in ten New Yorkers report feeling unprepared for an emergency event such as a natural disaster, fire, power outage or act of terrorism. To raise awareness of preparedness tactics and encourage New Yorkers to plan ahead for disasters, the New York City Emergency Management Department, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Ad Council are releasing new public service announcements (PSAs) as part of the Ready New York campaign to conclude National Preparedness Month this September. The creative encourages families to take time to talk about making emergency plans, including what to do, where to go, and how to stay in touch during an emergency.
“We want all New Yorkers to know what to do to be prepared before a disaster strikes. We can help protect our families by thinking through the steps to take before, during and after an emergency. The new ads show how easy it is to make a plan, empowering New Yorkers to have a much-needed discussion about family preparedness,” shares Joseph J. Esposito, Commissioner of NYC Emergency Management.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8170351-ad-council-nyc-emergency-management-plan/
To motivate parents and their children to spend more time in nature together, the U.S. Forest Service and the Ad Council today launched a new public service advertisement (PSA) campaign urging families to experience the many wonders of nature close to home together.
The PSAs, created in partnership with The Foundry, Time Inc.’s state-of-the-art creative lab and content studio, focus on family time in nearby forested environments, reminding parents that having a nature experience with their children is not only easy and local, but also fun and full of learning opportunities and benefits. This is the first time that the Ad Council has worked with the creative division of a media company that has iconic roots in publishing on a large-scale production on behalf of one of its PSA campaigns. A range of Time Inc. properties are also donating print and digital advertising space in support of this campaign.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8171051-new-ad-council-u-s-forest-services-discover-the-forest-psa/
Today, HHS’ Administration for Children and Families (ACF), along with the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse, has launched a new series of public service advertisements (PSAs) recognizing the critical role fathers play in the lives of their children.
The public service campaign created by the non-profit Ad Council coincides with Tell a Joke Day and centers on the popularity and growing trend of telling “Dad” jokes. Through sharing dad jokes, the PSAs aim to communicate to fathers that the smallest moments spent with their children can make the biggest difference in their children’s lives. The ads direct fathers to Fatherhood.gov where users will find helpful tips, tools, information and jokes to help them get more involved with their kids.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8156551-ad-council-fatherhood-dad-jokes/
To coincide with Valentine’s Day, the Ad Council, R/GA and an unprecedented group of brand partners launched, “Fans of Love,” an extension of the iconic Love Has No Labels campaign. The new PSAs, filmed live at the NFL Pro Bowl in Orlando in January, put a twist on the traditional kiss cam by replacing it with an unbiased camera that features all forms of love –friendships, families and romantic relationships– across race, religion, gender, sexuality, ability and age. The goal of the campaign has always been to flood culture with a message of unbiased love, but this year, they’re doing so by actually reframing an iconic part of culture.
“On Valentine’s Day ‘Fans of Love’ highlights that love has the power to bring people together regardless of our differences – a message that is more important now than ever,” said Lisa Sherman, president and CEO of the Ad Council. “We hope that this new creative will encourage all of us to reflect on our own biases and the role we can play in creating a more accepting and inclusive world.”
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/
Today, the Ad Council in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, AdoptUSKids, and KBS launched new public service advertisements (PSAs) for the award-winning Adoption from Foster Care campaign. The new television and radio PSAs encourage the adoption of older youth from foster care.
Of the 428,000 youth under the age of 18 in the U.S. foster care system, 112,000 are currently waiting for adoptive families, according to the most recent Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) data. Since the project’s launch in 2002, more than 26,000 children who were once photo listed on the AdoptUSKids website have been placed with permanent families. However, older youth and teens have lower adoption rates than younger children, and they often wait longer to be adopted. Currently, of the 5,560 youth photo-listed on the website as available for adoption, 43% are between the ages of 15 and 18 years old.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7979251-ad-council-adoptuskids-adopt-from-foster-care/
The Ad Council’s I Am A Witness campaign is bringing together the top digital companies in the teen space for the second iteration of the award-winning and unprecedented effort aimed at transforming the “silent majority” of kids who witness bullying each day from passive bystanders into a united, empowered and active collective against bullying. The campaign is the first to create an anti-bullying emoji adopted by Unicode and natively available on nearly all smartphones across the world. There will be activations throughout the month of October to coincide with Bullying Prevention Month.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7933951-ad-council-i-am-a-witness-anti-bullying/
Feeding America, the nation's largest hunger-relief organization, has partnered with the Ad Council and McCann New York to launch new public service advertisements (PSAs) designed to raise awareness about child hunger in the United States. Featuring the voice of celebrity activist Julianne Moore, who volunteered her time and talent, the PSAs call upon Americans to help children facing hunger in America by supporting the Feeding America nationwide network of food banks.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7909951-feeding-america-ad-council-julianne-moore/
The Ad Council and the Dollar General Literacy Foundation today launched new public service ads (PSAs) to support their national Finish Your Diploma campaign to provide adults with the information and encouragement needed to earn a high school equivalency diploma. The new PSAs celebrate adult learners in America and reinforce the idea that no one does it alone.
“As adults are considering finishing their diploma, often the greatest challenge is simply knowing where to go for support and having the courage to take the first step towards completing their diploma,” said Denine Torr of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. “By coupling real stories with information about free local adult education classes and resources, we hope the new commercials will inspire and empower individuals to pursue their dreams through education.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7900051-ad-council-dollar-general-finish-your-diploma/
In honor of Smokey Bear’s 72nd birthday, the Ad Council, the U.S. Forest Service, and the National Association of State Foresters (NASF) launched a new series of public service advertisements (PSAs) that aim to help prevent wildfires nationwide by increasing awareness about less commonly known ways that wildfires can start. The new “Rise from the Ashes” campaign uses wildfire ashes as an artistic medium to illustrate the devastation caused by wildfires and highlight less obvious wildfire causes.
“Education is a critical part of reducing the number of unwanted, human-caused wildfires we experience every year,” said U.S. Forest Service Deputy Chief Jim Hubbard. “We believe that this new iteration of Smokey Bear’s long-running PSA campaign will demonstrate campfires are not the only way to start a wildfire and that Smokey Bear is counting on them to take action to prevent accidental fire starts.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7896651-ad-council-smokey-bear-wildfire-psa/