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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jennifer de Vallance (202) 395–6618
Julie Tacinelli (202) 828–8807
June 17, 2003
Community Drug Prevention Public Service Advertising Generates Record Media Support in 2002
--Levels Exceed $100 Million, More than Triple the Average for All Ad Council Campaigns--
Washington—Public Service Advertising promoting community drug prevention efforts, developed by the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign in partnership with the Ad Council, set a new record for donated media support in 2002, making it the year's most widely supported Ad Council campaign. Media support exceeded $100 million, far surpassing the average total donated media ($28.6 million) for all other Ad Council campaigns in 2002. The initiative ranks first among the 45 current Ad Council campaigns.
The Community Drug Prevention PSAs were developed to promote the power of community coalitions through television, radio, print, out-of-home and Web banners. It is the first campaign designed to generate support for the grassroots programs that help keep kids drug-free. The PSAs direct viewers to www.helpyourcommunity.org for additional information on how to get involved in their communities.
"Communities play a pivotal role in preventing drug use among young people," said John P. Walters, Director of National Drug Control Policy. "This campaign has encouraged countless parents, volunteers, community leaders and coalitions to join forces to fight the scourge of drugs, making their neighborhoods safer and healthier places to live."
"Jokes," the first of two sets of PSAs, targets a general audience and uses humor to motivate people to get involved in a drug prevention coalition in their area. The second set, called "Do You See," targets community volunteers and leaders, encouraging them to visualize how much more they can accomplish by joining forces with a coalition. Advertising agency Avrett Free & Ginsberg volunteered their services to create the PSAs.
"The advertising powerfully illustrates the positive impact community coalitions can have on our nation's drug problem," said Peggy Conlon, President and CEO of The Advertising Council. "We are incredibly grateful for the media's extraordinary support of this campaign, and their generosity on behalf of all Ad Council campaigns."
The estimated total donated media support for the Community Drug Prevention Campaign in 2002 is valued at $101,152,126. Media match dollars for 2002 (TV, Cable and Internet) accounted for an additional 11% ($12.6 million), bringing the total donated media support to $113,752,126. Congress implemented the media match program as a component of the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign to ensure that all paid advertising spots are matched with an equivalent value in public service. Since its inception in August of 2000, the Media Campaign's Community Drug Prevention outreach with the Ad Council has garnered more than $220 million in total donated media support.
In 1998, with bipartisan support, Congress created the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign with the objective of educating and enabling young people to reject illicit drugs. Unprecedented in size and scope, 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
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