U.S. Census Bureau Launches First 2020 Census Ads Campaign

The U.S. Census Bureau launched its first set of advertisements for the 2020 Census in Alaska this week, about one month ahead of the kick off to the 2020 Census in remote Alaska in January 2020. The advertisements will inform those living in approximately 220 Alaska Native villages that a census taker will soon visit their home to count them in the 2020 Census. For the rest of Alaska, and the rest of the country, the 2020 Census begins in mid-March.

On January 21, the count officially begins in Toksook Bay, an Alaska Native village located on the Bering Sea west of Bethel. Locally hired census takers get a head start in rural Alaska when the ground is frozen, allowing for easier access to remote villages.

This will be the first time the Census Bureau has aired ads targeted at remote Alaska audiences for a decennial census. Aimed primarily at reaching Alaska Native people, the advertising creative includes full-page print ads, commercial signage, posters, radio ads and digital content.

“We are working hard with state and tribal leaders as well as community organizations to make sure that the Alaska Native population and everyone in Alaska — no matter where they live — receive information about the 2020 Census and why it is so important to be counted,” said Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham. “Residents of remote Alaskan villages have limited internet connectivity and no at-home mail delivery, so conducting the count with census takers going door-to-door is critically important. By responding to the census, you can help shape your village’s future for the next decade.”

The Census Bureau has long been planning the most robust marketing and outreach effort in Census history for the 2020 Census. The newly released advertisements are part of the Census Bureau’s $500 million communications campaign to increase awareness and participation in the 2020 Census.

Next month, paid advertising in support of the 2020 Census will begin running in the rest of the country in print and digital outlets, on television and radio, on billboards, and at transit stations. The integrated campaign will feature advertising in 13 languages and be in market from January through June. For more information, visit the Census Bureau’s 2020 Census Paid Media Campaign.

The goal of the 2020 Census is to count everyone who lives in the United States. It is conducted every 10 years and is required by the U.S. Constitution. Census responses determine congressional representation in the states and inform how billions of dollars in federal funds are distributed to states and local communities every year for critical public services and infrastructure, including health clinics, schools, roads and emergency services.

Most households in the United States will start receiving invitations by mail to respond to the 2020 Census in mid-March. For more information, visit 2020census.gov.