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/
The health of babies in the United States has taken a step backward as the nation’s preterm birth rate worsened for the first time in eight years, the March of Dimes said today. The U.S. earned a “C” grade on the latest March of Dimes Premature Birth Report Card amidst widening differences in prematurity rates across different races and ethnicities.
“The 2016 March of Dimes Report Card demonstrates that there is an unfair burden of premature birth among specific racial and ethnic groups as well as geographic areas,” says Dr. Jennifer L. Howse, president of the March of Dimes. “The March of Dimes strives for a world where every baby has a fair chance, yet we see this is not the reality for many mothers and babies. Babies in this country have different chances of surviving and thriving simply based on the circumstances of their birth.”
The U.S. preterm birth rate went up from 9.57 to 9.63 in 2015, according to final data from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). Across the country, preterm birth rates were nearly 48 percent higher among black women and more than 15 percent higher among American Indian/Alaska Native women compared to white women.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7945951-march-of-dimes-premature-birth-report/
The Ad Council, the largest producer of public service campaigns in the U.S., in partnership with Viacom, home to premier global brands in media and entertainment, and non-profit leader Facing Addiction today launched the PSA campaign “LISTEN” to ignite a national conversation about drug and alcohol addiction as a public health epidemic, and empower those impacted by substance use disorders.
While past PSA campaigns have traditionally focused on the perspective of those at risk, urging them to eliminate all substance use, “LISTEN” addresses the support system of people who are also affected by this crisis. Using powerful stories that portray the modern faces of addiction and recovery, the campaign looks to remove the stigma attached to substance misuse through the act of informed, compassionate listening. The campaign’s website, heretolisten.com, and Facing Addiction's Resource Hub provides important tools and information to help people start a productive conversation with their friends and loved ones and to support the more than 45 million Americans directly impacted by addiction.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/8029751-ad-council-listen-psa-addiction-drug-alcohol-substance-abuse/
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/
Junior Achievement USA® (JA) today announced the launch of its JA Heroes PSA campaign. The goal of this campaign is to connect volunteer mentors with young people to give kids the power to see their future, unleash their potential and let their dreams take flight.
Positive role models in the lives of young people are shown to help inspire them to overcome difficult circumstances. Yet today, millions of kids live in situations where they do not have access to mentors who can give them the guidance or insight they need to rise above negative peer pressure, economic uncertainty or simply a lack of direction.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7553451-ja-heroes-psa-campaign/
Last December, nearly one-third of all car crash fatalities involved a drunk driver, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Today, to help make our roads safer during the holiday season, the Television Bureau of Advertising (TVB) launched the 13th annual “Project Roadblock” initiative, in which local broadcast TV stations donate airtime to support NHTSA and the Ad Council’s “Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving” PSA (public service advertising) campaign.
To help the campaign’s message reach those who could benefit most, the Ad Council is conducting a special push to TV stations in the 10 states that accounted for 53% of all alcohol-impaired driving fatalities in 2015: Texas, California, Florida, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, Illinois, and South Carolina.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/8003951-nhtsa-ad-council-tvb-anti-drunk-driving-psa/
MultiVu, PR Newswire’s multimedia and broadcast production and distribution group, has restructured their Public Service Announcement services and launched a digital distribution platform for PSAs. The newly created web portal, www.psaroom.com will provide PSA Directors with the convenience and ease of downloading PSAs right from their desktops.
This platform creates a virtual one stop shop for PSA Directors. On it, they will be able to preview PSA videos, download HD Broadcast Quality digital PSA files, as well as receive all supporting campaign collateral materials like PSA Director Letters and Tax Exempt Certification. All PSA material and videos will be available within a user friendly web interface, making it a go to resource for PSA Directors and Broadcast outlets nationwide.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7489551-multivu-digital-distribution-platform-psa/
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/
Millions of children in the United States don’t have health coverage. As a result, it may be difficult or impossible for them to get the routine preventive care that keeps them healthy or access to the care they need if they get sick or injured. But, the majority of the nation’s uninsured children are eligible for free or low-cost health coverage through their state Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). They can apply for the comprehensive benefits these programs provide at any time, and now the enrollment process is faster.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8102651-hhs-connecting-kids-to-coverage-psa-insurekidsnow/
The National Limousine Association’s Ride Responsibly™ initiative (www.rideresponsibly.org) and Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment (PAVE) have joined forces to produce a public service campaign, starring actress, activist and sexual violence survivor Pamela Anderson. The PSA draws attention to the vast number of sexual assaults that have occurred in ride-hailing vehicles and questions if these were caused by insufficient background check procedures. This PSA serves as a call-to-action following alarming revelations of sexual harassment and assault that reach far beyond Hollywood and Washington, D.C.
The video, titled “The Signs”, is Pamela’s second PSA for the Ride Responsibly initiative, and comes on the heels of the #MeToo movement. The PSA is a stark reminder that even getting from point A to B carries risk, particularly if you are not conscientious of the service that you choose.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8098851-nla-ride-responsibly-pave-psa-the-signs/
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from September 15 to October 15, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF), in partnership with the Ad Council, is launching a new, national public service advertising (PSA) campaign to give Hispanic parents access to the resources they need to help their children prepare, plan, and pay for college.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7317151-advertising-council-and-hispanic-scholarship-fund-psa/
The National Limousine Association’s Ride Responsibly™ initiative (www.rideresponsibly.org) and the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (www.nsvrc.org) have joined forces to produce a public service campaign, starring actress and activist Pamela Anderson. The PSA educates the industry and public at large about the dangers associated with ride-hailing apps.
The video, titled “The Driving Game!”, is an extension of the Ride Responsibly initiative to improve safety for passengers using ride-hailing apps. In the PSA, Ms. Anderson takes a lighthearted approach at communicating the critically important point that “you can’t always vet the driver you are using, but the service you are using should.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7769451-nla-ride-responsibly-driving-game-psa/
