America’s Ad Council is launching a direct-mail fund-raising effort targeting advertising, media and marketing professionals, with the intention of raising $3 million.
The campaign, to be conducted with assistance from the Direct Marketing Association and its members, is intended to support the Council’s Campaign for Freedom, designed to bolster consumer confidence and raise morale during the ongoing ‘war on terrorism’. Although much of the Council’s work depends on donated media time and creative services, it still has to stump up staff salaries and talent fees.
Robert Wientzen, president/ceo of the DMA, revealed that he had been in talks with the Council about fund-raising last year. “Along came the current tragedy, and we discussed that maybe this is the time to do it, given the fact that the Ad Council is embarking on a very significant campaign to restore confidence in America, and we tried to figure out ways to do it differently, so it could be done quickly.”
Details have yet to be confirmed, though strategy and creative will be handled by Wunderman in New York on a pro bono basis, with donations from DMA members of elements such as lists, envelopes and printing.
Wunderman and the Council will meet later this month to thrash out strategy, with the intention of beginning the campaign by year-end.
News source: AdAge.com
