The Ad Council launches a new ad campaign. Philanthropy about "nothing," at least for right now.
Typically, the council asks an advertising agency to create a campaign after receiving a request from a charity like the United Negro College Fund (“A mind is a terrible thing to waste”) or a government agency like the Department of Transportation (“Friends don’t let friends drive drunk”).
In this instance, however, the council, through a vote of the executive committee of its board of directors, commissioned the “Generous Nation” campaign. It is the first time in the history of the council, which was founded in 1942 as the War Advertising Council, that the organization itself is serving as the sponsor of a campaign, Ms. Conlon said.
The culprit: media fragmentation:
That is especially true because of “the fragmentation of the media marketplace,” Dr. Winsten said, which makes it increasingly difficult to reach consumers with what are known as pro-social messages.
The Ad Agencies kick it off:
The campaign is to be introduced at one of the first events scheduled for Advertising Week, the annual agency industry gathering in New York. As a way of bringing to life the concept of “Generous Nation,” the council plans to conduct a weeklong blood drive among agency employees and the general public.
Maybe not such a good idea.