WWE® Superstars Alberto Del Rio, Titus O'Neil and Roman Reigns Take on the Importance of Being a Dad in National Public Service Campaign

USA - English

• Latin America - español

WASHINGTON, June 6, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- A majority of dads in the U.S., seven out of ten, recently reported that they could use tips on how to be a better parent, according to a national survey conducted by the Ad Council. In advance of Father's Day, WWE Superstars are inspiring dads throughout the country to get more involved in their children's lives. WWE is joining the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families' Office of Family Assistance, the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse, and the Ad Council to launch a new series of public service advertisements (PSAs) that encourage dads to recognize their critical role and give them the tools to help get more involved. 

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click: http://www.multivu.com/mnr/7240051-wwe-superstars-importance-of-being-dad-national-public-service-campaign

This month, the Ad Council will distribute the television, radio, print, outdoor and Web public service ads to media outlets nationwide. In addition, the Ad Council will make all PSA materials available through PSACentral.org. WWE will utilize all of its assets, including television, live events, in-arena, digital and social media, to generate awareness of the national public service campaign.  

WWE donated their time, talent and resources for the campaign which uses humor and features WWE Superstars Alberto Del Rio, Titus O'Neil and Roman Reigns experiencing poignant moments with their actual children in an effort to inspire a nationwide commitment to fatherhood. The stars provide the voiceovers at the end, directing audiences to "Take Time To Be a Dad Today." The campaign communicates to fathers that their presence is essential to their children's well-being and emphasizes that "the smallest moments can have the biggest impact on a child's life."

"WWE is honored to be a part of the Ad Council Fatherhood campaign and the mission to inspire and support men in their commitment to responsible fatherhood," said Vince McMahon, WWE Chairman & CEO. "Even the busiest of dads can do the simplest of things to have a positive impact on their children."

All of the creative assets direct fathers to visit www.fatherhood.gov or to call 1-877-4DAD411 to provide them with the information they need to become more involved with their children's lives, including parenting tips, fatherhood programs and additional resources. In addition to the English and Spanish-language advertising, the campaign also includes social and digital extensions, leveraging fans of WWE and its Superstars. To coincide with Father's Day and the campaign launch, @WWEMoms is hosting a Twitter Q&A on June 12 at 7:00 p.m. via #WWEDads. The campaign will also be leveraging Thunderclap (a public synchronized social media post), and developing blog posts and additional activities.

"The importance of being a present and engaged dad lies in the long term effects and benefits that this responsibility has on the children and families we serve. Fatherhood must be respected as essential to the wellbeing of our communities and as an investment in the creation of a caring, healthier and more productive society as a whole. Fatherhood is both a privilege and an honor, and the greatest reward is when your child calls you dad," said Office of Family Assistance Director Earl Johnson.

Children with involved, loving fathers are significantly more likely to do well in school, have healthy self-esteem, exhibit empathy and pro-social behavior, and avoid high-risk behaviors such as drug use, truancy, and criminal activity compared to children who have uninvolved fathers.

"Of course, with our target being dads, WWE was a natural partner for this effort," said Peggy Conlon, President and CEO of the Ad Council. "This campaign has already made such an impact on fathers and families throughout the country and I know that with the help of Alberto, Titus and Roman, we will be able to show dads how important their role is in their child's life."

The new PSAs are an extension of the Ad Council's award-winning Fatherhood Involvement campaign, which launched in 2008. The ads will air and run in time and space entirely donated by the media. To date, the Fatherhood Involvement campaign has received more than $193 million in donated media.

The Ad Council
The Ad Council is a private, non-profit 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 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 www.adcouncil.org, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or view our PSAs on YouTube.

HHS
HHS supports responsible fatherhood in diverse ways. Because engaged fathers strengthen families and contribute to healthy outcomes for children, many HHS programs integrate support for fathers.  These include Head Start, child support programs, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.  HHS also supports programs that focus on responsible fatherhood, such as the Promoting Responsible Fatherhood grant program administered by the Office of Family Assistance.

National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse
The National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse (NRFC) is funded by the Administration for Children and Families' Office of Family Assistance's (OFA) efforts to assist States and communities in promoting and supporting Responsible Fatherhood. Primarily a tool for professionals operating Responsible Fatherhood programs, the NRFC provides access to print and electronic publications, timely information on fatherhood issues, and targeted resources that support OFA-funded Responsible Fatherhood grantees. The NRFC Website also provides essential information for other audiences interested in fatherhood issues. The address for the NRFC website is www.fatherhood.gov.

WWE
WWE, a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family friendly entertainment on its television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing platforms. WWE programming is broadcast in more than 150 countries and 30 languages and reaches more than 650 million homes worldwide. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Miami, Mumbai, Munich, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click: http://www.multivu.com/mnr/7240051-wwe-superstars-importance-of-being-dad-national-public-service-campaign

SOURCE Ad Council