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/
Chocolate milk brand YUP! and digital media company Onion, Inc. are rallying teens and young adults across the nation to join the ‘Nothing Hour’ movement.
The beverage brand is shaking up the chocolate milk market by bringing an unconventional twist to a familiar category, using social marketing to appeal to young adults and teens rather than the usual mom and kid target.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7862951-the-onion-yup-nothing-hour/
As called for in the President’s Cybersecurity National Action Plan, the White House, the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) and more than 35 companies and NGOs today announced a new internet safety and security campaign, “Lock Down Your Login,” to empower Americans to better protect their online accounts. The goal is to encourage a move beyond usernames and passwords to a widespread adoption of strong authentication for key online accounts. The majority of Americans (72 percent) believe their accounts are secure with just usernames and passwords. Usernames and passwords simply are not enough; hackers and cybercriminals continue to evolve their attack techniques, and users must improve their security to better protect their accounts.
The campaign is launching at a time when Americans are more connected than ever: 73 percent go online daily, and one in five are constantly connected. Coupled with increased connectivity are high levels of concern about identity theft, device security and risks such as phishing. In fact, a recent NCSA/Microsoft study found that preventing identity theft is the top online safety topic that both U.S. adults and teens (ages 13-17) would like to learn more about. Additionally, teens reported that unauthorized account access is their top online safety concern. Although Americans consistently express high levels of concern about identity theft, device security and risks such as phishing, many are either not aware or not using widely available, simple technologies to better secure their online accounts. Americans expect the cybersecurity community to help solve the problem. In another study, 78 percent of Americans reported they strongly or somewhat agree that government, industry and other stakeholders should work to find new ways of securing accounts beyond the password.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7934951-ncsa-lock-down-your-login-cyber-security/
Back to school is right around the corner and with it comes the chaos of school year routines! The to-do list for families before classes begin is extensive: getting the kids ready on time, making sure they get to school safely, preparing lunches in a pinch, and the list keeps going on! With so much to do, even the most put together parent might feel overwhelmed.
The National Meningitis Association (NMA) today announced the launch of a new educational initiative in collaboration with Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of Sanofi, about the importance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) recommended second dose of the meningococcal meningitis vaccine (MenACWY) for adolescents at age 16. The 16 Vaccine (The16Vaccine.org) aims to educate parents about the importance of this critical second dose of MenACWY, which helps protect teens against meningococcal meningitis during the period when they are at increased risk.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8385951-national-meningitis-association-the-16-vaccine/
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/
Today, the award-winning Adoption from Foster Care campaign from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, AdoptUSKids and the Ad Council unveiled a new series of public service advertisements (PSAs) that aim to encourage the adoption of older youth from foster care.
Of the 415,000 children in the U.S. foster care system, 108,000 children under the age of 18 are currently waiting for adoptive families, according to the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS). Since the AdoptUSKids project began in 2002, 25,000 children who were once photo listed on adoptuskids.org are now with their adoptive families and nearly 38,000 families have registered to adopt through AdoptUSKids. 41 percent of the approximately 5,360 youth listed on the website are aged between 15 and 18 years old.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7673451-ad-council-national-adoption-campaign/
Last night Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) named Whitney Stewart National Youth of the Year in a ceremony held at the National Building Museum in Washington D.C. She accepted the honor before an audience that included members of Congress and Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) partners and supporters, including National Spokesperson and Club alum Denzel Washington.
Youth of the Year is BGCA's premier recognition program for Club teens and the National Youth of the Year title is the highest honor a Club member can receive, representing the voice of four million Club youth. For nearly 70 years, the Youth of the Year program has recognized young people for their outstanding leadership, service, academic excellence and dedication to living a healthy lifestyle. The Youth of the Year program is presented by Disney with support from signature partner Toyota. Along with additional partners Taco Bell Foundation and University of Phoenix, the National Youth of the Year will receive $145,000 in academic scholarships, as well as a trip to Disney World and a brand new Toyota vehicle. This year Youth of the Year will award more than $1 million in scholarships to Club teens.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7640151-bgca-national-youth-of-the-year/
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Celebrate My Drive, powered by State Farm,® is proud to announce winners of the campaign designed to raise awareness and promote teen driver safety. One hundred high schools will share in a total of $3.28 million in grants connected to their participation in the program.
Over 3,200 high schools across North America participated, generating more than 6.1 million online safe driving commitments. Winning high schools generated the most commitments, while amplifying conversations around teen driver safety and addressing the leading cause of death for teens.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7271031-state-farm-celebrate-my-drive-2014/
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/
Thousands of teens from more than 3,200 high schools across the U.S. and Canada are committing to safe driving as part of the State Farm Celebrate My Drive® program. During Teen Driver Safety Week, high school students, staff and community members are encouraged to visit celebratemydrive.com once daily between 12 a.m. CT on October 15, 2014 through 11:59 p.m. CT on October 24, 2014 and commit to safe driving. The high schools with the most commitments will win grant money for their school, learn more about safe driving, and be one of two schools to win a private concert by The Band Perry.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7271031-state-farm-celebrate-my-drive-2014/
Adults have gotten the message that it’s safer for kids to ride in the back seat properly restrained, but when it comes to their own safety, there is a common misperception that buckling up is optional. Among adults who admit to not always using safety belts in the back seat, 4 out of 5 surveyed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety say short trips or traveling by taxi or ride-hailing service are times they don’t bother to use the belt.
The new survey reveals that many rear-seat passengers don’t think belts are necessary because they perceive the back seat to be safer than the front. This shows a clear misunderstanding about why belts are important, no matter where a person sits in a vehicle.
Before the majority of Americans got into the habit of buckling up, the back seat was the safest place to sit, and the center rear seat was the safest place of all in 1960-70s’ era vehicles. In recent decades, high levels of restraint use, the advent of belt pretensioners, load limiters and airbags, plus crashworthy vehicle designs have narrowed the safety advantages of riding in the rear seat for teens and adults.
