The Advertising Council, commonly known as the Ad Council, is an American privately funded non-profit organization that distributes public service announcements on behalf of various sponsors, including non-profit organizations and agencies of the United States government.
The Advertising Council generally does not produce public service advertisements itself, rather, it acts as a coordinator and distributor. The Advertising Council accepts requests from sponsor organizations for advertising campaigns that focus on particular social issues. To qualify, an issue must be non-partisan and have national relevance. The Advertising Council then assigns each campaign to a volunteer advertising agency that produces the actual advertisements. Finally, the Advertising Council distributes the finished advertisements to media outlets.
History
The Advertising Council was incorporated in February 1942 as the War Advertising Council for the purpose of mobilizing the advertising industry in support of the war effort. Early campaigns encouraged the purchase of war bonds and conservation of war materials. The long-running Forest Fire Prevention campaign, with Smokey Bear as its famous mascot, also began as a war campaign in response to the fear that Japanese submarines might start forest fires by shelling the west coast of the United States. After the conclusion of the Second World War the War Advertising Council changed its name to the Advertising Council and shifted its focus to peacetime campaigns. According to documents from the Council's archives, the group aimed to enhance public opinion of and co-opt liberal opposition to advertising by using it to promote liberal and popular causes. Famous campaigns include the "Crying Indian" anti-pollution campaign for Keep America Beautiful; the United Negro College Fund campaign, with its slogan "A mind is a terrible thing to waste"; the McGruff campaign with its slogan "Take a bite out of crime" for the National Crime Prevention Council (in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Justice); and the "Friends don't let friends drive drunk" campaign for the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Resources
- Robert Jackall and Janice M. Hirota, The Image Makers: Advertising, Public Relations, and the Ethos of Advocacy (University of Chicago, 2000). ISBN 0-226-38916-2 (paperback: ISBN 0-226-38917-0)
