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Ad Council and CureSearch National Childhood Cancer Foundation Launch National PSA Campaign

Posted on: Tuesday, 9 November 2004, 12:00 CST

NEW YORK, Nov. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- The Advertising Council and CureSearch National Childhood Cancer Foundation joined today to announce the launch of a national, multi-media public service advertising (PSA) campaign designed to help children with cancer and their families receive the information, resources and support they need to conquer childhood cancer.

Miss America 2005 Deidre Downs, who has been named the official national spokesperson for CureSearch National Childhood Cancer Foundation, will support the foundation's campaign as part of her year of service as Miss America 2005. An aspiring pediatrician, Downs selected childhood cancer research and funding as her platform while serving as Miss Alabama. As Miss America, Downs continues her advocacy, taking it to the national stage. Miss America will travel coast to coast on her national speaking tour focusing her message on the need for childhood cancer research and funding to find a cure.

Cancer is the number-one disease killer of children in the United States. Forty-six children, or two classrooms of students, are diagnosed with cancer every day in the United States. Although there has been remarkable progress in research and treatment, thousands of children still die annually from the disease and its incidence has increased every year for more than 25 years. Advancements in diagnosis and treatment have transformed the once nearly fatal disease into one thathas an overall 78 percent cure rate. Despite the progress that has been made, many Americans remain unaware of the prevalence and the cure rate associated with childhood cancer.

Sponsored by CureSearch, the new campaign was developed in an effort to provide families with the resources that will help them improve the quality of their children's lives and secure the best chance for a cure. The campaign also aims to raise awareness that childhood cancer -- while growing in incidence -- is increasingly curable. Created pro bono by ad agency Y&R, the new PSAs direct parents, families, friends, and caregivers who provide comfort to children diagnosed with cancer to visit http://www.curesearch.org/, CureSearch's new website and the only comprehensive, up-to-date information portal on childhood cancer. Designed by the brand strategy and interactive design firm Siegel & Gale, the site provides support, resources and clinical information, which is customized to patients, families and friends based on a child's age, diagnosis and treatment.

"A diagnosis of cancer is devastating, particularly when it is a parent who receives the news about his or her child," according to Peggy Conlon, President & CEO of The Advertising Council. "This poignant advertising will communicate to children and families that there is a wonderful resource available to help them, and it was created by the same network of medical experts that is responsible for the increasing cure rate."

The new television, radio and print PSAs poignantly feature the juxtaposition of life "before" and "after" a child is diagnosed with cancer. In one new television spot, a child asks, "Why do they call it a funnybone? Why can't penguins fly? Can we go to the moon on vacation?" Actress Jodie Foster then provides a voiceover, which says, "If you think it's tough answering these questions, imagine the ones you'll get if your child is diagnosed with cancer. CureSearch.org can help ... You're not as alone as you feel."

"When families are told their child has cancer, they often turn to the Internet for information about the disease and its treatment protocols," said Paul T. Burke, President and CEO of CureSearch National Childhood Cancer Foundation. "With the help of this PSA campaign, we are hopeful that families facing a childhood cancer diagnosis will become aware of http://www.curesearch.org/, which is supported by the world's foremost childhood cancer experts, and use this resource as a companion on their journey with the disease."

"When CureSearch and the Ad Council shared these powerful PSAs with me I knew immediately that I wanted to be a part of this important campaign," said Deidre Downs, Miss America 2005. "I look forward to helping further the reach of these critical messages, raising awareness of childhood cancer on a national level and continuing to help children and families in their fight to conquer this disease."

The radio and print ads similarly feature problems facing children and their parents when the diagnosis is cancer and communicate how CureSearch.org can help families cope with all aspects of the disease. To view the PSAs, visit http://www.adcouncil.org/campaigns/childhood_cancer_resource.

"We're thrilled to have played our part in an endeavor that will surely help families who have been confronted by this terrible disease," said Ross Sutherland, Executive Creative Director at Y&R.

Per the Ad Council model, the PSAs were distributed to more than 28,000 media outlets nationwide in October and will begin running and airing in advertising time and space that is donated by the media this month.

Y&R, (http://www.yr.com/) a division of Young & Rubicam Brands, was founded in 1923 and is one of the world's leading full-service consumer advertising agencies. Y&R counts among its clients some of the world's most prestigious global corporations, including Campbell's Soup Company, Colgate-Palmolive, Danone, Cadbury Schweppes, MetLife, Toys R Us, Virgin Atlantic and the Xerox Corporation. Ann Fudge is Chairman and CEO of Y&R and Young & Rubicam. Brands. Young & Rubicam Brands is a member of the WPP Group of Companies (WPPGY.).

http://www.curesearch.org/ unites CureSearch's two organizations -- the National Childhood Cancer Foundation (NCCF) and the Children's Oncology Group (COG), the world's largest and most prestigious childhood cancer research organizations. Together, the two entities support the life-saving research conducted at more than 200 member institutions, representing every pediatric cancer program and providing state-of-the-art medical care to more than 90% of children with cancer in North America.

Charity Navigator, America's largest independent charity evaluator recognizes CureSearch NCCF with four out of four stars for fiscal management. Ninety-four percent of CureSearch NCCF's total annual expenditures is dedicated to finding cures for children with cancer, six percent is used for fundraising and administration. CureSearch is a tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) public benefit charity.

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/.

The Miss America Organization is one of the nation's leading achievement programs and the world's largest provider of scholarship assistance for young women. Last year, the Miss America Organization and its state and local organizations made available more than $45 million in cash and scholarship assistance. For more information, go to http://www.missamerica.org/.

Ad Council

CONTACT: Susan Weingram, +1-212-843-8016, sweingram@rubenstein.com, orJoanna Goldstein, +1-212-843-9372, jgoldstein@rubenstein.com, both for the AdCouncil

Web site: http://www.missamerica.org/http://www.adcouncil.org/http://www.curesearch.org/http://www.yr.com/http://www.adcouncil.org/campaigns/childhood_cancer_resource

Source: PRNewswire

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