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/
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 Tory Burch Foundation today announced the launch of a global campaign, #EmbraceAmbition, to encourage women to embrace ambition. The initiative kicks off today to coincide with International Women’s Day. Inspired by Tory’s personal experience as a woman and entrepreneur, the campaign aims to address the double standard that exists around ambition, which is often seen as a great attribute in men and as a negative one in women.
A cornerstone of the campaign is a video PSA celebrating ambition, created with Laird+Partners. The PSA features celebrities and leaders from diverse industries including entertainment (Gwyneth Paltrow, Julianne Moore, Kerry Washington, Chris Pine, Reese Witherspoon), fashion (Anna Wintour), sports (Billie Jean King, Gabby Douglas, Laila Ali), business (Eric Schmidt, Sheryl Sandberg), philanthropy (Melinda Gates) and more.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8056451-tory-burch-foundation-embraceambition/
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/
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/
Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA), today on Giving Tuesday, is dispelling stereotypes about female leadership and demonstrating the importance of investing in girls who make a difference in the world. A newly unveiled Girl Scout PSA and anthem bring to life the unique Girl Scout programming that enables girls—from kindergarten through high school—to practice leadership. This new campaign effort is revealed alongside preliminary data that, for the first time, articulates what girls are doing on a daily basis to take the lead and make the world a better place. The Girl Scout program encourages girls to be leaders at every age, and a donation to Girl Scouts on Giving Tuesday goes further than the Girl Scout organization—it is an investment in girls who, in turn, invest their time, talents, and leadership in the present and future well-being of our world.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7914751-girl-scouts-of-the-usa-giving-tuesday/
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 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/