Encouraging Americans to Prepare for Emergencies

Emergencies, such as natural disasters and terrorist attacks, can be devastating, but by following simple steps in advance, Americans can minimize the impact on themselves and their families. According to a national Ad Council survey, 91% of Americans agree that taking simple steps to prepare for emergencies could help protect themselves and their families in the event of an emergency. However, only 58% have taken any steps to prepare.

To coincide with National Preparedness Month, the Ad Council is joining with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to launch a new series of national PSAs in September on behalf of their Ready Campaign, which aims to encourage all Americans to take steps to prepare for emergencies.

Also, a new campaign, Ready New York City, created in partnership with the New York City Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and the American Red Cross in Greater New York, which aims to specifically motivate those in New York City, is being unveiled in conjunction with the national Ready launch. The campaign contains materials in both English and Spanish. According to a 2009 OEM survey, 40% of New Yorkers say they do not feel prepared for an emergency.

The national and New York City Ready PSAs, which have been produced for TV, radio, print, outdoor and the Web, utilize the metaphor that a disaster can turn you and your family's world "upside down." Created pro bono by ad agency Cramer-Krasselt, the PSAs direct audiences to visit www.ready.gov and www.readynyc.org / www.listonyc.org respectively where they can find national and local New York City preparedness information and resources.

The new national PSAs have been localized for a number of states and cities, including Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, Austin, Kansas City, Eugene (Oregon), Georgia, Utah and Virginia.

Since the launch of the national Ready Campaign in February 2003, the campaign has made significant progress in educating and empowering Americans. Media outlets have donated more than $775.9 million for the PSAs and, as a result, www.ready.gov has received more than 2.3 billion visits. Despite the progress that has been made to date, many Americans still have not taken the necessary steps to prepare.

Please continue your support of these campaigns by donating significant time and space for the new PSAs and help increase the level of preparedness in New York City and across the nation.

Stroke is the Third Largest Killer in the U.S.

According to the American Stroke Association (ASA), stroke is the number 3 killer in the United States and a leading cause of long-term disability. Tragically, African Americans are almost twice as likely to suffer a first-ever stroke as compared with caucasian Americans. Immediate emergency medical treatment may greatly reduce long-term disability caused by stroke but, unfortunately, African American men and women hesitate to call 9-1-1.

As a result of these staggering statistics, the Ad Council and ASA are launching a new round of PSAs created pro bono by Burrell Communications and featuring comedians Alonzo Bodden and George Wilborn. The campaign, which originally launched in 2003, aims to empower potential at-risk African Americans and bystanders to act immediately by calling 9-1-1 at the first possible sign of a stroke.

The comedians' stand-up routines juxtaposed with their compelling "Stroke's No Joke" messages illustrate the seriousness of stroke. All of the PSAs direct audiences to visit the new campaign website, www.strokesnojoke.org, where they can learn more about the risk factors and warning signs of stroke.

Please continue to support this critical campaign and help raise awareness of the early signs of stroke among the African American community.

Ad Council Continues to Honor Its Pledge to Go Green

As part of our continuing effort to 'Go Green', the Ad Council has partnered with Denver-based digital printer, Circle Graphics, for non-paper outdoor PSA needs. Circle's efforts to produce environmentally responsible printing options for outdoor advertising make them an ideal partner for the Ad Council.

Many Ad Council campaigns are also using Circle's customizable on-demand technology to enhance their programs. For example our Hunger prevention campaign localized their Summer Food program outdoor posters by market. More than 1,200 posters were distributed to 35 different markets each containing local contact information that directed the public on how to access the free school lunches during the summer months. Many food banks have reported an increase in inquiries about this important program. Other recent campaigns that are benefiting from this relationship: Wildfire Prevention, Financial Literacy, Re-connecting Kids with Nature, Lupus Awareness, Youth Reckless Driving Prevention as well as others.

To order outdoor materials please contact the Ad Council fulfillment center at 1-800-933-PSAS