Ad Council & US Army Launches Stay In School Program.

The Advertising Council and The U.S. Army joined to announce the launch of new public service advertisements (PSAs) designed to prevent students from dropping out of high school. The television, radio, newspaper, out of home and Internet PSAs are a part of the second phase of the Operation Graduation campaign and are being distributed to coincide with back-to-school season. Since its launch, the campaign has received more than $70 million in donated time and space from the media – ranking it among the top ten Ad Council campaigns in 2001.

Each year, one half of a million students drop out of high school. Dropouts often lack the tools to compete in the changing economy and they are at a greater risk for drugs, gangs and teenage pregnancy. In a response to the disturbing national dropout rate, the Ad Council and the U.S. Army launched the second phase of the Operation Graduation campaign. Created by volunteer ad agency Bates USA, the new PSAs use humor to show students the importance of staying in school, and to encourage parents to get involved with their kids’ education.

“I believe that this new approach to the Operation Graduation campaign will resonate with teens and show their parents how easy it is to get involved.” said Peggy Conlon, President & CEO of The Advertising Council.

Launched in November of 2000, the Operation Graduation campaign originally used real-life testimonials to communicate the importance of staying in school and the benefits of receiving a high school diploma. Bates USA found that humor, paired with earning potential, created a suggestive and telling tale that will hit home for many of these at-risk students.

“Education is more important in today’s hi-tech world than it has ever been before, and encouraging young people to stay in high school will pay dividends for them, their families and the entire country”, said Sergeant Major of the Army Jack L. Tilley.

The three student-targeted PSAs, “Wallet” (also available in Spanish), “Interview,” and “Spare Change,” focus on the powerful statistic that non-graduates make approximately 42% less than graduates. “Wallet” features a young man trying to buy a wallet, but when the salesperson learns that he dropped out of high school he is offered a miniature wallet. In “Interview,” a kid goes on a job interview to find that his opportunities are severely limited having dropped out of school and ends up handing out fliers in a French fry costume. A homeless man in “Spare Change” begs a teen-age boy for money, but returns the change when he finds that the boy has dropped out of high school. The ads finish with the tagline “Stay in school. Give yourself a chance.”

“The Operation Graduation campaign represents some of the most important work we have produced, not only because we are proud of the effort creatively, but also because encouraging kids to stay in school is an investment in the future.” said Rob Slosberg, Creative Director for Bates’ New York office. “These spots speak to students on a new level, one they will truly connect with.”

The student PSAs encourage teens to visit www.operationgraduation.com for guidance and support on a wide range of issues, and urge parents to call 1-877-FOR-A-KID for a free brochure with tips on how to get involved in their kids’ lives and education.

The adult-targeted ads use a friendly approach to show parents that getting involved with their children’s lives is “really not that difficult.” The three spots “Face Off,” “Back Pat,” and “Blackboard,” put parents in a classroom setting to learn basic ways to get in touch with their children. The ads conclude with the line, “Don’t drop out on your kids.”