WASHINGTON, May 4, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- In an effort to support the 42.1 million caregivers in the U.S. who are caring for parents and older loved ones, AARP and the Ad Council are unveiling a new series of public service advertisements (PSAs) as an extension of their ongoing Caregiver Assistance Campaign. The campaign, created pro bono by agency DDB New York, is supported by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB), and the Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA) who are urging their members to run the spots in the weeks leading up to both Mother's Day and Father's Day this year.
"Many people will spend more of their time and resources caring for their aging parents than they did raising their own children," said AARP CEO Jo Ann Jenkins. "These new PSAs will help create greater awareness for caregivers who tackle tough issues every day, and provide information on the many resources that are available to help them meet their needs and those of their loved ones."
Caregivers in the U.S. provide an estimated $450 billion worth of unpaid care to aging relatives and friends[1]. And according to an AARP survey[2], more than one in five says their weight, exercise routine, or social life has suffered since becoming a caregiver and that they are generally unhappier. For many, the caregiving role starts with simple things like scheduling a doctor's visit or helping with daily errands, but gradually expands over time. This juggling of responsibilities can be highly stressful, putting caregivers at risk for depression, anxiety, lowered immunity, heart disease, and premature aging among other physiological consequences, as well as causing financial problems.
"Family support is critical to the care needed for older adults as they age, but often comes at substantial costs to those providing the care, to their families and to society," said Lisa Sherman, President and CEO of the Ad Council. "Through this campaign—and thanks to the incredible support from our advertising partners—our goal is to help more caregivers connect to the resources, tools and help available to them and better alleviate the stresses in their lives."
The Caregiver Assistance Campaign is requesting support across multiple media platforms. NAB, RAB and OAAA have encouraged their member organizations to run the out of home, radio, and broadcast PSAs in addition to ongoing digital and social media support in the week preceding both Mother's and Father's Day this year. Since the initial launch in the fall of 2012, the Caregiver Assistance Campaign has received over $104.6 million in donated media and aarp.org/caregiving has received more than 25 million page views.
The new series of PSAs highlight the resources and help available to improve the lives of both the caregiver and their loved one at aarp.org/caregiving . On the website, caregivers can access practical health and wellness tips and resources and can interact with a supportive community of peers.
The campaign will also be promoted through Upworthy.com, and across social media channels including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. This campaign is also debuting a powerful SMS initiative aimed at mirroring the caregiver's journey. Available in both English and Spanish, caregivers can text "parents" or "padres" to 97779 for ongoing support and personalized assistance from AARP home and family expert and caregiver, Amy Goyer.
Following the Ad Council's model, the PSAs will be distributed to more than 33,000 media outlets nationwide and will be run in space and time entirely donated by the media.
To learn more about the issues family caregivers deal with, tune in to CARING FOR MOM & DAD, a PBS documentary narrated by Meryl Streep, that premieres nationwide May 2015. The documentary, funded by AARP and Pfizer, explores the emotional, health, and financial challenges faced by caregivers as parents age. Learn more at pbs.org/caringformomanddad
About AARP AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with a membership of more than 37 million, that helps people turn their goals and dreams into real possibilities, strengthens communities and fights for the issues that matter most to families such as healthcare, employment and income security, retirement planning, affordable utilities and protection from financial abuse. We advocate for individuals in the marketplace by selecting products and services of high quality and value to carry the AARP name as well as help our members obtain discounts on a wide range of products, travel, and services. A trusted source for lifestyle tips, news and educational information, AARP produces AARP The Magazine, the world's largest circulation magazine; AARP Bulletin; www.aarp.org; AARP TV & Radio; AARP Books; and AARP en Espanol, a Spanish-language website addressing the interests and needs of Hispanics. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to political campaigns or candidates. The AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. AARP has staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Learn more at www.aarp.org.
About The Ad Council The Ad Council is a private, non-profit organization with a rich history of marshaling volunteer talent from the advertising and media industries to deliver critical messages to the American public. Having produced literally 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. To learn more about the Ad Council and its campaigns, visit Adcouncil.org, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or view our PSAs on YouTube.
About DDB DDB Worldwide (www.ddb.com) is one of the world's largest and most influential advertising and marketing networks. At the prestigious 2014 Cannes International Festival of Creativity, DDB took home 87 Lions, as well as Agency of the Year and Regional Network of the Year honors for adam&eveDDB and DDB EMEA, respectively. In addition, DDB has been named Agency of the Year numerous times by the industry's leading advertising publications and awards shows. The Gunn Report has listed DDB as one of the Top Three Global Networks for 12 of the last 15 years. The agency's clients include Volkswagen, McDonald's, Unilever, Mars, Johnson & Johnson and Exxon Mobil, among others. Founded in 1949, DDB is part of the Omnicom Group (NYSE) and consists of more than 200 offices in over 90 countries, with its flagship office in New York, NY.
About NAB The National Association of Broadcasters is the premier advocacy association for America's broadcasters. NAB advances radio and television interests in legislative, regulatory and public affairs. Through advocacy, education and innovation, NAB enables broadcasters to best serve their communities, strengthen their businesses and seize new opportunities in the digital age. Learn more at www.nab.org.
About RAB The Radio Advertising Bureau serves more than 6,000 member Radio stations in the U.S. and over 1,000 member networks, representative firms, broadcast vendors, and international organizations. RAB leads and participates in educational, research, sales, and advocacy programs that promote and advance Radio as a primary advertising medium. Learn more at www.rab.com.
About OAAA OAAA is the national trade association for the out of home (OOH) advertising industry. Founded in 1891, the association represents more than 90 percent of the US industry based on revenues. OAAA is dedicated to leading and uniting a responsible OOH industry committed to serving advertisers, consumers, and communities. The OOH industry generates $7 billion annually in ad revenues and donates more than $450 million in space each year. For more information, please visit www.oaaa.org.
[1] Caregiving in the U.S. report (2009)
[2] The Caregivers: Life Changes and Coping Strategies poll was commissioned by AARP. Research was conducted through an on-line survey nationwide from in May and June 2013 using GfK Custom Research (Knowledge Networks Knowledge Panel). The sample consisted of 1,036 adults between the ages of 40 to 60 years of age who currently caring for someone age 50+.
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