Contest to Reward the Most Creative Digital PSA Campaign
SUNNYVALE, Calif. & NEW YORK – Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO) and the Ad Council announced the launch of the 2010 “Create for a Cause” contest to recognize the best in digital advertising for public service campaigns.
The winning campaign, selected by a panel of digital advertising leaders, will appear on Yahoo!’s sign-in page, the entry to many of Yahoo!’s most popular services and one of the most highly trafficked advertising properties on the Web with nearly one in ten Americans visiting every day.
The second annual “Create for a Cause” contest (http://advertising.yahoo.com/cfac) will be open from October 11 to December 3, 2010, to advertising agencies looking to showcase their most creative digital campaigns for nonprofit and federal government agency clients. For the first time, all agencies are invited to submit entries, including those not affiliated directly with the Ad Council. The winning campaign will be announced January 5, 2011.
“Some of the most innovative digital campaigns being developed today are done on behalf of nonprofit organizations and causes,” said Mitch Spolan, vice president of Yahoo!’s North American field sales. “‛Create for a Cause’ offers the opportunity to build exposure for the most worthy causes in ways that can uniquely be achieved through the digital canvas.”
“Create for a Cause is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the pro bono commitment of the advertising industry and their talent in developing compelling digital creative,” said Barbara Shimaitis, senior vice president of Interactive Services at the Ad Council. “We are grateful to Yahoo! for helping spearhead this contest and donating premier placement for the winning campaign.”
The Yahoo! sign-in page ad unit, which first launched in June 2010, provides advertisers with an entire online page for highly creative campaigns that engage audiences on an emotional level. Among the advertisers that have used the Yahoo! sign-in page for campaigns are leading brands such as Chevrolet and Macy’s.
In developing submissions for “Create for a Cause,” agencies can create new campaigns, tweak existing ones, or use initiatives already in the marketplace. Agencies in the U.S. that have an existing or upcoming campaign with the Ad Council or are working with a 501(c)(3) organization or a federal government agency are eligible to enter.
Yahoo!’s social responsibility department, Yahoo! for Good, is focused on empowering people to make a positive impact by leveraging Yahoo!’s audience, products and employees. Their efforts are closely aligned to Yahoo!’s business, so any cause-related effort is also benefiting its business.
A committee of well-known advertising figures — including Peggy Conlon, president and CEO of the Ad Council; Rob Rasmussen, chief creative officer at Tribal DDB; Nick Parish, North American editor of Contagious Magazine; Ze Frank, digital philosopher — will judge the campaigns and choose the one they feel has the greatest creative impact.
In 2009, the first year of the contest, the winning “Create for a Cause” campaign was the U.S. Army’s High School Dropout Prevention program, known as “Boost Up,” developed by Publicis New York. The campaign was awarded $750,000 in Yahoo! Mail ad inventory and earned the distinction as the first to run in the Yahoo! Mail “tandem” ad unit.
About the Ad Council:
The Ad Council is a private, nonprofit organization with a rich history of marshalling volunteer talent from the advertising and media industries to deliver critical messages to the American public. Having produced thousands of PSA campaigns addressing the most pressing social issues of the day, the Ad Council has affected, and continues to affect, tremendous positive change by raising awareness, inspiring action, and saving lives.
About Yahoo!:
Yahoo! attracts hundreds of millions of users every month through its innovative technology and engaging content and services, making it one of the most visited Internet destinations and a world-class online media company. Yahoo!’s vision is to be the center of people’s online lives by delivering personally relevant, meaningful Internet experiences. Yahoo! is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. For more information, visit pressroom.yahoo.com or the company’s blog, Yodel Anecdotal (yodel.yahoo.com)
