National Ads debut at The New England Institute of Art and will be promoted locally by more than 275 arts organizations across the country NEW YORK, May 22
NEW YORK, May 22 /PRNewswire/ -- The Advertising Council joined Americans
for the Arts and the NAMM Foundation today to announce the launch of a new
series of public service advertisements (PSAs) designed to promote the
benefits of arts education. The PSAs, part of the award-winning "The Arts. Ask
for More." campaign, will debut at Advertising that Changed a Nation, an
exhibit opening this week at the New England Institute of Art in Brookline,
Massachusetts.
The arts provide children with life skills that are a foundation to their
and our nation's future success. According to key findings from a forthcoming
report conducted by The Conference Board and Americans for the Arts, in
partnership with the American Association of School Administrators, an
overwhelming majority of school superintendents and employers (99 and 97
percent respectively) agree that creativity is increasingly important in the
workforce and that an art training is crucial to developing creativity.
However, according to the research, most schools in our country only provide
arts training on an elective basis. Additionally, a 2005 Harris Poll reported
that 40 percent of parents say they do not know how to get involved with
promoting arts education.
Launched in 2002, the original "Art. Ask for More." campaign was the first
national PSA effort designed to promote the arts as a vital part of a well-
rounded education for our nation's children and promoted parental involvement
in championing arts education both in and out of schools. Created pro bono by
Leo Burnett, this second series of television, radio, print and Web ads
feature a new creative strategy that encourages parents to "feed their
children the arts" with a bowl of "Raisin Brahms" or a serving of
"VanGoghgurt" for breakfast. The ads speak to the benefits of getting a daily
dose of the arts, which include increased test scores, better creative
thinking, patience, and determination, all skills that are fundamental to a
child's education and development. The PSAs end with the tagline: "The Arts.
Ask for More."
"We are delighted to continue our partnership with Americans for the Arts
for this second series of PSAs designed to help parents recognize the value of
the arts in their children's lives," said Peggy Conlon, President and CEO of
the Ad Council. "This clever strategy of depicting the arts as nourishment
will show parents that the arts are integral to their child's development and
an important foundation for their future."
The PSAs direct parents to visit www.AmericansForTheArts.org where they
will find 10 simple ways on how to include the arts in their children's lives,
including registering their children for school and community programs,
reinforcing the benefits of the arts in their conversations, and communicating
the importance of the arts with teachers, principals and elected officials.
The site also features an Online Resource Center to help parents, teachers,
school board leaders, and advocates increase the presence and quality of arts
education in the schools. All creative ads for the campaign are available for
viewing on the websites of both Americans for the Arts
(www.AmericansForTheArts.org/public_awareness) and the Ad Council
(www.adcouncil.org).
"Appreciation and involvement in the arts is an essential educational goal
for the 21st century, and this campaign gives parents the tips and tools for
providing more arts education opportunities for their children in both school
and their communities," said Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans
for the Arts.
"We wanted to develop a campaign that displayed cultural insight in a way
that reinforces the importance of the arts in a child's life," said Richard
Roche, SVP, Account Director at Leo Burnett. "Our goal was to use our
creativity to develop a clever strategy and transform human perception through
a compelling series of ads that capture this message."
More than 275 arts organizations across the country will help promote this
campaign to their local media. The television and radio spots are localizable
for every community. The campaign, its production and outreach have been made
possible by a grant from the NAMM Foundation, which helped to leverage
additional needed resources.
The television and radio PSAs are being distributed to stations nationwide
in June, while the print and Web ads will be released later this year. Per the
Ad Council's model, all of the PSAs will air and run in advertising time and
space that is entirely donated by the media.
Leo Burnett USA (www.leoburnett.com)
Leo Burnett USA helps build many of the world's most valuable brands,
including McDonald's, Disney, P&G, Kellogg and Nintendo. As the most awarded
agency at the Effie Awards for five straight years, Leo Burnett USA is the
"Most Effective Agency in America." Leo Burnett holds people at the center of
its strategic thinking, technological innovation and creative ideas, focusing
first and foremost on human behavior before attempting to tell a brand's
story. The country's second largest agency brand, as ranked by Advertising
Age, Leo Burnett USA is the flagship of Leo Burnett Worldwide, a global
network of over 200 operating units, including a variety of specialty
marketing services and over 90 full-service advertising agencies in 82
countries.
Americans for the Arts
Americans for the Arts is the leading nonprofit organization for advancing
the arts in America. With offices in Washington, DC, and New York City, it has
a record of 48 years of service. Americans for the Arts is dedicated to
representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for
every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts.
Additional information is available at www.AmericansForTheArts.org.
The Advertising Council
The Ad Council (www.adcouncil.org) is a private, non-profit organization
that marshals talent from the advertising and communications industries, the
facilities of the media, and the resources of the business and non-profit
communities to produce, distribute and promote public service campaigns on
behalf of non-profit organizations and government agencies in issue areas such
as improving the quality of life for children, preventive health, education,
community well-being, environmental preservation and strengthening families.
The NAMM Foundation
The NAMM Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to
advancing active participation in music making across the lifespan by
supporting scientific research, philanthropic giving and public service
programs from the international music products industry. For more information,
interested parties can visit www.nammfoundation.org.
SOURCE The Advertising Council
