Campbell Ewald Joins Ad Council & NBC's TODAY Show for Weeklong Series Debut of Public Service Ads Featuring TODAY's Anchors

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - Feb 11, 2013) - Beginning today and airing throughout the week, NBC's TODAY Show will debut a series of television public service ads featuring TODAY's anchors -- Matt Lauer, Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker and Natalie Morales -- on behalf of four social issues: fatherhood involvement, hunger prevention, emergency preparedness, and shelter pet adoption.

The ads were created pro bono by leading advertising agencies throughout the country in partnership with the Ad Council, a non-profit and leading producer of PSA campaigns for over 70 years. Campbell Ewald paired up with Matt Lauer to craft an ad that supports responsible fatherhood, a cause the agency has supported since 1996. Previous ads in the campaign have featured prominent dads such as President Barack Obama, and have won numerous awards.

"We've been working on the Fatherhood Involvement campaign for 17 years and in that time, the campaign has generated over $667 million in donated media," says Bill Ludwig, CEO of Campbell Ewald. "We are thrilled that Matt Lauer and TODAY are supporting this important cause. The message has been simple, yet powerful: Take time to be a dad today. We want fathers to know that they don't have to be super dad -- it's the smallest moments that have the biggest impact on a child's life. We feel this spot really captures those simple yet joyous moments of fatherhood."

TODAY's anchors personally selected the social issues they are supporting from among the Ad Council's 50 national campaigns, and participated in brainstorming sessions with the ad agencies to help inform the creative.

The weeklong series, called "TODAY Takes Action," will feature an intimate look at each social issue, a behind-the-scenes "making of the PSA" segment showing the collaborative effort of the campaign development process and the premiere of the highly produced PSAs created on behalf of the four award-winning campaigns:

• Matt Lauer and Fatherhood Involvement -- The father of three children, Matt Lauer is featured in a PSA that reminds dads of the critical role they play in their children's lives. The campaign is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance and the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse (NRFC), and was created pro bono by Campbell Ewald. Actor Tom Selleck provides the voiceover for the campaign tagline "Take Time to Be a Dad Today."
  
  
• Savannah Guthrie and Hunger Prevention -- Hunger affects one in six Americans. Savannah Guthrie appears in a new TV spot, directed by award-winning filmmaker Joe Pytka, which encourages all Americans to get involved in being part of the solution. The Hunger Prevention campaign was created pro bono by San Francisco-based ad agency Cutwater on behalf of Feeding America, the nation's largest domestic hunger relief organization.
  
  
• Al Roker and Emergency Preparedness -- America's most famous weatherman, Al Roker, is featured in a new TV spot as part of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)'s Ready campaign, designed to encourage Americans to take steps to prepare in advance of emergencies, including natural and man-made disasters. While 60% of Americans agree it's important for all Americans to be prepared for natural or man-made disasters, only 15% of Americans believe they are prepared for a disaster situation. The PSA directs viewers to make a plan at Ready.gov and was created pro bono by ad agency Leo Burnett in Chicago.
  
  
• Natalie Morales and Shelter Pet Adoption -- Natalie Morales adopted her dog, Zara, after doing a pet adoption segment for TODAY in April 2011 and is very passionate about the issue. Developed in partnership with The Humane Society of the United States and Maddie's Fund® and created pro bono by ad agency Draftfcb in Chicago, The Shelter Pet Project is the first national PSA campaign that brings together the largest animal welfare organizations and shelters across the country to promote the adoption of shelter pets nationwide. Actress Jenna Elfman provides the voiceover for Zara in the new TV spot.
  
  

The new PSAs are being distributed to NBC stations nationwide next week. The production costs for the PSAs have been provided by the Ad Council's non-profit and federal government partners. NBC is also featuring content about the series on TODAY Show's website and you can follow the series on Twitter at #TODAYTakesAction.

About Campbell Ewald
Campbell Ewald is a collaborative marketing communications company that provides clients game-changing solutions. As one of the nation's largest communications brands, Campbell Ewald is made up of a collective of thought leaders with innovative capabilities both traditional and specialized, including advertising; insights and solutions planning; integrated content strategy and development; social, relationship, retail and experiential marketing; interactive/digital; and strategic media planning and buying.

Campbell Ewald has offices in Detroit, Los Angeles, San Antonio, Miami and Washington, D.C. A part of The Interpublic Group of Companies, CE partners with a score of national and regional brands, including Alltel Wireless, Carrier, Chicken of the Sea, Consumers Energy, General Motors, Ghirardelli, Kaiser Permanente, Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, Olympic Paints and Stains, OnStar, USAA, and the United States Navy.

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