Ad Council & National Fatherhood Team Up.

The Advertising Council and the National Fatherhood Initiative (NFI) announced the launch of a new round of public service advertisements (PSAs) aimed at inspiring dads to spend more time with their kids.

In 1960, less than 8 million children were living in families where the father was absent. Today the number of children living in fatherless homes exceeds 23 million, which translates into nearly one out of three children in America. Children living in father absent homes are more likely to be suspended from school, drop out, be treated for an emotional or behavioral problem, commit suicide as adolescents and experience child abuse or neglect.

To help combat this trend, the new spots for the National Fatherhood Initiative PSA campaign, created by volunteer ad agency Campbell-Ewald Advertising, emphasize the positive impact of an involved nurturing father on his children’s lives. Campbell-Ewald worked pro bono along with the Ad Council and National Fatherhood Initiative to conduct research, develop the campaign strategy and produce the finished creative materials.

Titled “Tarzan,” the television PSA utilizes footage cut from classic 1939 Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan Finds a Son, to increase awareness of the critical importance of fathers. Set to upbeat music, the viewer sees Tarzan and his son, Boy, engaged in various father-son activities – Tarzan and Boy riding an elephant, swimming through a tropical lagoon and swinging on a vine. Continuing the tradition of previously successful National Fatherhood Initiative PSAs, the spots utilize the tagline “It Takes A Man To Be A Dad,” emphasizing that the most important way a father can have a positive impact on his kids is to spend time with them.

“Since 1995, our Fatherhood Initiative campaign has encouraged countless fathers get involved in their children’s lives,” said Peggy Conlon, Ad Council President and CEO. “This latest round of creative takes a somewhat lighter tone, but uses the same powerful tagline and has the same kind of impact that has made this campaign so successful these past six years.”

“The National Fatherhood Initiative takes great pride in the partnership we have forged with both the Ad Council and Campbell-Ewald. It has produced one of the most successful, award-winning campaigns ever,” said Wade Horn, NFI President. “The new direction in which we are taking our PSAs is exciting and we are encouraged by the tremendous impact we have had in the past and will surely continue to receive in the future.”

“Tarzan, he had to wrestle rhinos, lions and crocodiles while raising a child,” said Bill Ludwig, Campbell-Ewald Vice Chairman and Chief Creative Officer. “All we’re asking is that men spend a little time with their kids. It raises fatherhood to an achievable, yet heroic quality.”

New PSAs for the campaign were also created for radio – one features the voice of country singer Tim McGraw, who was selected as an NFI Father of the Year last year. PSAs have also been created for both media in Spanish. Audience members are guided to the toll free number 1-800-790-DADS or the Web site www.fatherhood.org for more information.

The National Fatherhood Initiative is a non-profit, non-partisan, non-sectarian national civic organization founded in 1994 to stimulate a society-wide movement to confront the growing problem of father absence, and is dedicated to improving the well-being of children by increasing the number of children growing up with involved, committed and responsible fathers.

The Advertising Council is a private, nonprofit organization, which has been the leading producer of public service communications programs in the United States since 1942. The Council supports campaigns that benefit children, families and communities. The communications programs are national in scope and have generated strong, measurable results. Ad Council campaigns, such as “Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk,” “Take A Bite Out of Crime,” and “A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste,” have helped save lives and resources, educate the public about issues and concerns of the day, and make America a healthier country in which to live. In 1999, Ad Council campaigns received more than $1.5 billion in donated media time and space. To learn more about the Ad Council and its campaigns, visit our Web site, www.adcouncil.org.