The Ad Council today launched a groundbreaking public service campaign designed to encourage audiences to welcome and support refugees who have recently resettled in the U.S. The campaign aims to raise awareness, dispel misconceptions and connect audiences to EmbraceRefugees.org where they can learn more about the issue and find local resources to assist refugees in their communities. Launching to coincide with World Refugee Day, the integrated effort was developed with creative firm Tongal and its global network of filmmakers, marking the first time in the Ad Council’s 75-year history the organization has created a new campaign through crowdsourcing. The public service ads (PSAs) debuted this morning and will be distributed to media outlets nationwide this week.
“America has a proud legacy of welcoming refugees. In return, they serve their communities and our country -- as teachers and soccer coaches, as nurses and engineers, and as members of our armed forces,” said Heather Higginbottom, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources. “Refugees are thoroughly checked and we apply the highest security standards, so every community can welcome those who are resettling with open arms, as we would with any new neighbors.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7856251-ad-council-embrace-refugees/
Every 33 seconds a child under 13 is involved in a car crash in the United States, according to 2014 data from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Safety seats, if used correctly, can dramatically reduce the risk of fatality or injury. But 59 percent of car seats are misused in a way that could reduce their effectiveness, and over one-third of children killed in car crashes were completely unrestrained at the time of the crash. Today, NHTSA and the Ad Council unveiled a new series of public service advertisements (PSAs) to educate parents and caregivers about the importance of selecting the right seat for their child’s age and size, and to remind them that car seats, booster seats and seat belts offer the best protection for children in crashes and help save lives.
“Life can change in an instant. We want parents and caregivers to prepare for the unexpected, rather than face their worst nightmare,” said Dr. Mark Rosekind, NHTSA administrator. “Buckling up a child correctly and in the right seat is the best protection any parent can do to see their child walk away unharmed from a car crash.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7774451-ad-council-find-the-right-seat/
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/
The period between Christmas and New Year’s typically has one of the highest rates of impaired driving fatalities, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In an effort to reduce drunk and buzzed driving related incidents during the holidays, NHTSA, the Ad Council and the Television Bureau of Advertising (TVB) launched their 12th annual “Project Roadblock: Local TV Puts the Brakes on Drunk Driving.”
Project Roadblock was created in 2004 in support of NHTSA and the Ad Council’s Buzzed Driving Prevention public service advertising (PSA) campaign. To date, broadcast TV stations across the nation have donated more than $40 million in media to support this effort. The partnership aims to unite local television stations in creating a nationwide advertising roadblock by airing Project Roadblock PSAs (Public Service Announcements) between December 26 and December 31. Local broadcast stations voluntarily participate in the campaign by donating on-air, online and mobile time and space with a special push at 10 p.m. local time on New Year’s Eve. In addition, TV stations will be reaching out to their communities on social media to share social graphics and messaging to further reach audiences.
“Drunk driving remains a serious threat on our roads and claims more than 10,000 lives a year,” said NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind. ”Local broadcast television is an effective tool in reaching consumers, and we thank the TVB, all the stations, and the Ad Council for their ongoing support of drunk driving prevention, especially during the holiday season.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7701751-ad-council-nhtsa-buzzed-driving-psa/
The Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Ad Council were joined today by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to launch a new series of Spanish-language public service advertisements (PSAs) encouraging Americans to take steps to prepare for emergencies. The PSAs were launched as part of National Preparedness Month and direct viewers to Listo.gov, the Spanish-language extension of Ready.gov. According to a recent Ad Council survey, nearly six in ten Hispanic Americans have not taken steps to prepare for an emergency.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/adcouncil/46031/
Today the Ad Council, in partnership with The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and Maddie’s Fund®, launches a new series of public service advertisements (PSAs) on behalf of The Shelter Pet Project campaign. In the new ads, adorable adopted shelter dogs and cats practically reach through TV screens, imploring audiences to play with them. Prospective pet owners are reminded that there are thousands of amazing shelter pets ready to meet them.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/64564-the-hsus-maddie-s-fund-and-ad-council-launch-new-meet-psas
Acclaimed comedian and actor Jon Lovitz is talking candidly for the first time about living with severe plaque psoriasis through a national disease awareness campaign called Are You Serious?™. Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune condition which causes red, scaly plaques on the skin and affects nearly 7.5 million Americans, including Lovitz, who struggled with the condition for 10 years before getting its symptoms under control. Through his distinctive comedic style, Lovitz illustrates several of the everyday challenges faced by people with psoriasis in TV and radio public service announcements (PSAs), an entertaining song parody performed to Maroon 5’s famous hit, “This Love,” and an educational website – SeriousAboutPsoriasis.com.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/seriousaboutpsoriasis/47521/
In a nationwide effort to encourage all Americans to take steps to prepare for possible emergencies, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Ready Campaign and The Advertising Council have joined today with The Weather Channel® (TWC) to launch a new series of public service advertisements (PSAs). The PSAs are an extension of the national Ready PSA Campaign and will be distributed in advance of National Preparedness Month (NPM) in September.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/adcouncil/45754/
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
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/
The Ad Council launched today a new version of their digital distribution platform, PSA Central, making it the first single source destination for all Ad Council PSAs. The platform provides easy access to broadcast-quality television spots in multiple HD and SD formats, as well as ads created for radio, print, online, mobile and outdoor media.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/61747-ad-council-launches-first-high-res-psa-distribution-platform
Since the flooding in Pakistan began one month ago, more than 20 million people throughout the country have been affected. In an effort to help raise funds for relief, recovery and reconstruction efforts, the U.S. Government, through the Department of State, created the Pakistan Relief Fund (the Fund). In television and radio PSAs released by the Ad Council today, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton encourages all Americans to donate to the Fund, which will help those who are in need.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/adcouncil/45926/
