Ad Council and Big Brothers Big Sisters Partner With Mrs. Laura Bush to Launch Mentoring Campaign

Ad Council and Big Brothers Big Sisters Partner With Mrs. Laura Bush to Launch Mentoring Campaign

NEW YORK, Jan. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Big Brothers Big Sisters and The Advertising Council are joining Mrs. Laura Bush today to launch a national public service advertising (PSA) campaign designed to encourage adults to volunteer to become a mentor. Created pro bono by ad agency VogtGoldstein, the new television and radio PSAs feature Mrs. Bush and urge viewers and listeners to visit http://www.bigbrothersbigsisters.org/ to learn how to volunteer to become a Big Brother or Big Sister. The ads are being distributed to stations nationwide this week.

There are approximately 14 million young people in America, who without positive intervention are in jeopardy of not reaching a successful adulthood, according to a study by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Becoming a mentor is an important and easy way for an adult to make a difference in a child's life. A national study conducted by Public/Private Ventures revealed that children with mentors developed higher levels of self-confidence, had improved relationships with adults and peers and developed more positive attitudes towards school.

In an effort to encourage adults throughout the country to volunteer to become a mentor, the new PSAs demonstrate the magic of being a Big Brother or Big Sister through fun, little moments. The spots reveal the simplicity of the role of the Big Brother or Big Sister, while celebrating the togetherness. The PSAs conclude with Mrs. Bush encouraging adults to "Help America's Youth. Be a friend. Be a mentor. Just be there."

"Mentors can help children develop the strong character to make wise and healthy decisions. And they can shape a world in which good values are encouraged and dangerous behavior is unacceptable," said Mrs. Bush. "By sharing with others the experiences and rewards of mentoring, we can inspire others to dedicate their time and talent and energy to helping the children in our communities."

In 2005 the President asked Mrs. Bush to lead an effort, which became known as "Helping America's Youth," that involves parents and pastors, coaches and community leaders, in programs ranging from literacy to sports. "Helping America's Youth" helps children and teenagers by emphasizing three key areas: family, school and community.

The new ads are an extension of the Ad Council's and Big Brothers Big Sisters' volunteer recruitment initiative, which launched in 2002 and marked the first time BBBSA launched a national advertising campaign in the organization's 100-year history. Viewers and listeners are urged to visit http://www.bigbrothersbigsisters.org/ to find out how they can get involved with their local Big Brothers Big Sisters agency. To view the new PSAs, please visit http://www.adcouncil.org/campaigns/big_brothers_big_sisters/.

"We are proud to join Mrs. Bush and continue our successful partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America with this new advertising, which has the potential to positively impact so many young people in our country," said Peggy Conlon, President and CEO of The Advertising Council. "I am confident that these touching ads will encourage many more adults to become mentors and bring magic into a child's life."

In the first six months following the Mentoring campaign's launch in 2002, visits to the Big Brothers Big Sisters' website rose almost 130 percent from an average of 26,000 unique visits per month to 59,342 per month and calls to the toll-free hotline increased by more than 2,000 percent from an average of 200 calls per month to 4,400 per month. Furthermore, in the first eight months after the launch, applications to be a mentor increased 75 percent.

Judy Vredenburgh, President and Chief Executive Officer, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, said that the organization was delighted to partner with the Ad Council and with Mrs. Bush to promote the need for volunteer involvement. "We know that the Big Brothers Big Sisters brand of mentoring works to provide brighter futures for our children, better schools and stronger communities," said Vredenburgh. "We believe that this strong call to action by Mrs. Bush and powerful spots will help recruit the Big Brothers and Sisters that children in our local communities need."

All of the new PSAs will air in advertising time that will be donated by the media. Since its launch in 2002, the Mentoring campaign has received approximately $123 million in donated time and space from the media.

"We realized that mentoring has such an interesting dynamic happening," said Rob Slosberg, Partner and Creative Director at VogtGoldstein. "A mentor can become such a positive, gigantic force in a child's life, not by doing grand things, but by simply sharing small moments. We took this angle to let prospective mentors out there know: 'You don't have to work too hard at this. You just have to be there for them.'"

Big Brothers Big Sisters is the oldest, largest and most effective youth mentoring organization in the United States. It has been the leader in one-to- one youth service for more than a century, developing positive relationships that have a direct and lasting impact of the lives of young people. Big Brothers Big Sisters serves 240,000 children, ages 6 through 18, in all 50 states. The national offices are located in Philadelphia. To volunteer or donate, visit http://www.bigbrothersbigsisters.org/.

VogtGoldstein is a full-service advertising and marketing firm based in Westport Connecticut, and is one of the most recognized firms in the state. With their core of Power + Elegance, they have created award-winning advertising campaigns, with measurable results, for a wide array of clients, including Oxford Health Plans, Allied Domeq, Ad Council and BMW. To learn more about them, go to http://www.vogtgoldstein.com/.

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. To learn more about the Ad Council and its campaigns, visit http://www.adcouncil.org/.

Source: Big Brothers Big Sisters of America

CONTACT: Noreen Shanfelter of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America,
+1-215-665-7778; or Ad Council Press Office, +1-212-984-1964; or Rob Slosberg
of VogtGoldstein, +1-203-226-2407

Web site: http://www.adcouncil.org/

Web site: http://www.vogtgoldstein.com/

Web site: http://www.bigbrothersbigsisters.org/
http://www.adcouncil.org/campaigns/big_brothers_big_sisters

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