News Detail

AD COUNCIL AND WHITE HOUSE OFFICE OF NATIONAL DRUG CONTROL POLICY LAUNCH NEW COMMUNITY DRUG PREVENTION PSAs

February 24, 2005

White House Drug Czar and Ad Council Unveil Ads at Mayors Conference in Miami

NEW YORK and WASHINGTON, D.C. - February 24, 2005 - The Advertising Council and The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) announced today the launch of new public service advertisements (PSAs) created on behalf of their Community Drug Prevention campaign, which is designed to motivate adults to get involved with youth in their communities to help them stay away from drugs. The new PSAs are being unveiled this morning by John Walters, Director of ONDCP, and Peggy Conlon, President and CEO of The Advertising Council, at a ONDCP-hosted Mayors Conference in Miami.

According to a University of Michigan 2004 Monitoring the Future Study, there has been a 17% decline in the number of young people who use illegal drugs over the past three years. Despite this decline, 16% of high school students have used an illicit drug in the previous month. In addition, a study conducted by the Action on Smoking Health (Pride Survey 2001-2002) found that kids who are involved in extracurricular or afterschool activities are less likely to use drugs and that adults can play a significant role in helping kids in their communities.

Launched in August 2000, the first two phases of the campaign were designed to increase the public's awareness of, and participation in, anti-drug community coalitions. Created pro bono by ad agency Avrett Free Ginsberg, the new television, radio, print, outdoor and Internet PSAs aim to encourage individuals to get involved with youth on a personal level in their communities. The ads seek to motivate adults to volunteer, coach or mentor to keep kids active, off the streets and away from drugs. The message is that everyone has something to offer in order to be a positive influence on the kids in their community. The television and print PSAs are localizable.

Director Walters said, "Parents and volunteers are our first line of defense against illegal drugs. We are not powerless against this problem. By joining local anti-drug coalitions, citizens can make a difference in reducing the misery and addiction that drug use causes. I am proud of our ongoing partnership with the Ad Council and look forward to seeing increased participation in local efforts to reduce drug use."

All of the PSAs direct audiences to visit www.helpyourcommunity.org, a recently re-designed website, or call a toll-free number, 1-877-KIDS-313, to find local opportunities to get involved. The website connects visitors to anti-drug coalitions and other national youth oriented organizations that have local chapters.

"We have been proud to communicate this critically important message about community drug prevention for the past five years," said Peggy Conlon, President & CEO, The Advertising Council. "I believe that this compelling advertising will build on the remarkable success of our previous work by motivating countless Americans to get involved in their communities to keep kids away from drugs."

To date, media outlets have donated more than $313 million in advertising time and space to the Community Drug Prevention campaign. In addition, after the launch of the second phase of the campaign, there were more than 900,000 unique visits to the campaign's website, www.helpyourcommunity.org, and more than 90,000 people searched the site for local coalitions. Furthermore, 65% of the web visitors who contacted a coalition took some type of positive action, such as attending meetings, speaking to others about drug prevention, volunteering or donating resources.

The television, radio, print, outdoor and Internet PSAs will be distributed to more than 28,000 media outlets nationwide in March. Per the Ad Council's model, the ads will run and air in advertising time and space donated by the media.

"We wanted to communicate to the target audience that getting involved can be as rewarding for them as it is beneficial for the kids in need," said Rory Braunstein, Group Creative Director, Avrett, Free, Ginsberg. "Illustrating the impact that a little time and effort can have, this campaign uses a powerful misdirect technique to show that kids who, at first appear to be 'high' on drugs, are actually 'under the influence' of a local volunteer."

About Avrett Free Ginsberg

Avrett Free Ginsberg (AFG) is part of the Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE: IPG). Founded in 1975 and headquartered in New York City, AFG currently handles such blue chip accounts as Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Nestle Purina Cat Chow, St. Regis Hotels, Goya, Fortunoff, Bacardi, and Tumi. Its annual billings are approximately $380 million.

About The ONDCP National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign

In 1998, with bipartisan support, Congress created the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign with the goal of educating and enabling young people to reject illicit drugs. The Campaign is a strategically integrated communications effort that combines advertising with public communications outreach to deliver anti-drug messages and skills to America's youth, their parents, and other influential adults. For more information on the ONDCP National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, visit www.mediacampaign.org

About The Advertising Council

The Ad Council is a private, non-profit organization with a rich history of marshalling volunteer talent from the advertising and media industries to deliver critical messages to the American public. Having produced literally thousands of PSA campaigns addressing the most pressing social issues of the day, the Ad Council has effected, and continues to effect, tremendous positive change by raising awareness, inspiring action, and saving lives.