The Ad Council at a Glance

You may not immediately know us by name, but you do know us. For 59 years, the Ad Council has createdtimely and compelling public service messages for our nation. Our slogans and characters are more than memorable— they raise awareness, inspire individuals to take action, and save lives. The following results testify to the power of the Ad Council’s messages to make lasting and positive social change:　

　●Smokey Bear and his famous words of wisdom, “Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires,” are recognized by 95% of adults and 77% of children. Launched in 1944, the Smokey Bear Forest Fire Prevention campaign is one of the longest-running and famous public service advertising campaigns in history.　

　●Since the Ad Council began its “Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk” campaign, 70% of Americans have tried to stop someone from driving drunk. In 1998, America experienced the lowest number of alcohol-related fatalities (15,935) since the U.S. Department of Transportation began maintaining these records. The tagline is the most recognized anti-drinking and driving slogan in America. 　

　●The United Negro College Fund has been reminding Americans that “A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste,” since 1972. UNCF has raised over $1.4 billion, and helped more than 300,000 minority students graduate from college. 　

●Since the Crash Test Dummies, Vince and Larry, were introduced to the American public in 1985, safety belt usage has increased from 21% to 70%, saving an estimated 75,000 lives. 　

　Since creating the category of public service advertisements (PSAs) in 1942, the Ad Council has played an increasingly critical role in our changing society. The War Advertising Council, a private, non-profit organization, was founded to rally support for World War II-related efforts. The War Ad Council produced PSA campaigns that raised $35 billion in War Bonds, encouraged the planting of 50 million Victory Gardens, reminded people that “Loose Lips Sink Ships,” and recruited 2 million women into the job force through the powerful symbol, "Rosie the Riveter." After the War, the President asked the War Ad Council to continue as a peacetime public service organization to help solve the most pressing social issues of the day. Hence, the Ad Council was born.　

 The Ad Council’s mission is to identify a select number of significant public issues and stimulate action on those issues through communications programs that make a measurable difference in our society. To that end, the Ad Council marshals volunteer talent from the advertising and communications industries, the facilities of the media, and the resources of the business and non-profit communities to create awareness, foster understanding and motivate action. 　

As the nation’s leading producer of PSAs, the Ad Council has created more than 1,000 public service campaigns concerning critical issues such as crime prevention and drug abuse, and has brought issues such as child abuse, recycling and AIDS to national attention. In 1995, to maximize the impact of all of the campaigns, the Ad Council’s Board of Directors voted unanimously to adopt a new, ten-year initiative to help Americans who can’t speak for themselves — our children. Dubbed “Commitment 2000,” its objective is to raise awareness and stimulate individuals to take positive action, so that our nation’s children will have a better chance of achieving their full potential. 　

For the past two years the Ad Council has been frequently listed as a Top 25 Internet Advertiser, according to Nielsen/NetRatings rankings, registering approximately 11 billion impressions in 2000. The organization’s Website, www.adcouncil.org, features all of the campaigns. The Ad Council’s pledge is to remain committed and vigilant in establishing afoothold for public service advertising in a rapidly changing media landscape. 　

Since the tragedies of September 11th, Americans have experienced profound grief and immobilizing fear that has shaken beliefs, threatened security and deepened the economic decline. The Ad Council reached out to the federal government as well as important national non-profits with an offer to create and also distribute their crisis-related messages to media outlets nationwide. These new messages are designed to inform, inspire and involve all Americans to participate in activities that will strengthen the nation and help win the war on terrorism. 

Unit 3PB广告委员会剪影

　　你可能不太清楚我们的名字，不过你肯定知道我们。59年来，广告委员会为美国创作了大量公益广告，出手及时，引人入胜。我们提出的口号和创作形象不仅令人难忘，而且能引起广泛关注，激励人们采取行动，挽救了无数的生命。广告委员会的作品所产生的久远影响，以及所引发的积极社会变革，由以下的结果可见一斑：

　●95%的成年人和77%的儿童都知道黑熊斯莫奇和它那充满智慧的名言：“只有你才能预防森林火灾”。始于1944年的“黑熊斯莫奇预防森林火灾运动”，持续时间之长，知名度之大，在公益广告运动史上尚属罕见。
　　

●广告委员会发起了“是朋友就不让朋友酒后驾车”的运动后，70%的美国人都劝阻过别人酒后不要驾车。1998年美国与酗酒有关的伤亡人数是15,935，是美国运输部有史以来最低的一年，而这条广告语是美国最广为人知的反酒后驾车的口号。
　　

●从1972年开始，“联合黑人大学基金会”（UNCF）就一直提醒着美国人，“天才可贵，岂容浪费”。基金会筹集了14多亿美元，资助30,000多名少数民族学生读完大学。
　　

●撞车测试假人文斯和拉里于1985年与美国公众见面后，使用安全带的比率从21%增加到70%，估计有75,000人的生命。