American Red Cross Launches 2008 National Public Service Advertising Campaign

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 31 Jan 2008 - 4:00 PDT

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The American Red Cross recently launched its new national public service advertising (PSA) campaign called Change a Life, which includes print, television, radio, online, out-of-home components in both English and Spanish.

The Change a Life campaign demonstrates how lives are connected through the American Red Cross. Extensive consumer, donor and internal research informed the campaign, which was spearheaded by Austin, Texas-based advertising agency GSD&M Idea City. Idea City developed the overall campaign concepts; it also produced and delivered the print, online and out-of-home components. Silver Spring, Maryland-based Rafferty-Weiss Mediaproduced and directed the television and radio spots.

Eight print public service advertisements feature Red Cross volunteers and staff from Dallas, Texas, and five 30-second television public service ads feature Red Cross volunteers and staff from Atlanta, Georgia, where the spots were filmed. Actress and American Red Cross National Celebrity Cabinet member Elisabeth Röhm, provided the voiceover for these ads.

The American Red Cross relies on the generosity of the media to share its message with the public through donated advertising space and air time. The Red Cross has shared the Change a Life advertising materials with thousands of television and radio stations, magazines and newspapers, outdoor companies and online sites in markets throughout the United States.

"Placing Red Cross public service advertisements is a way for the media to demonstrate corporate values and to share the Red Cross message with people in America who want to give or need to get help," said Andrea Koslow, director of national advertising for the American Red Cross.

All American Red Cross materials are available for free download: http://www.redcross.org/advertising.

The American Red Cross helps people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. Last year, almost a million volunteers and 35,000 employees helped victims of almost 75,000 disasters; taught lifesaving skills to millions; and helped U.S. service members separated from their families stay connected. Almost 4 million people gave blood through the Red Cross, the largest supplier of blood and blood products in the United States. The American Red Cross is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. An average of 91 cents of every dollar the Red Cross spends is invested in humanitarian services and programs. The Red Cross is not a government agency; it relies on donations of time, money, and blood to do its work.

American Red Cross