United Way Worldwide and BVK Premiere New Public Service Announcement: “Join the Fight”

New PSA Campaign Encourages Communities Everywhere to Come Together and Live United to Tackle the Problems No One Talks About

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (MARCH 27, 2017) – As communities across the world are grappling with challenges such as lack of education, underemployment, homelessness, drug addiction, human trafficking and the challenges faced by veterans with successful acclimation to civilian life, United Way Worldwide and its new advertising agency of record, BVK, have launched a public service announcement (PSA) campaign to drive awareness of these issues and encourage people to become part of the solution.

The newly launched Join the Fight campaign takes an historically different approach to United Way’s mission. Rather than focusing solely on the outcomes of their work, it shows the realities of what happens when the basic building blocks that provide opportunity for all -- education, income and health -- aren’t accessible to some. The campaign compels viewers to be a part of the solution, to join United Way and become the hand raisers and the game changers. Join the Fight reminds viewers that change does not happen alone, that hope is not a one-man band and that there’s no such thing as self-taught or self-made. That in order to live better, we must Live United.

“By putting a human face to the extreme educational, financial and health challenges that our communities are facing, United Way shines a spotlight on these issues in a way that cannot be ignored,” said Lisa Bowman, Chief Marketing Officer, United Way Worldwide. “The imagery is intentionally jarring and meant to serve as a wakeup call to get people off the sidelines and involved with their local United Way in solving these issues. The message is ultimately one of hope however, as the viewer sees how United Way is tackling these issues every day.”

BVK’s approach to United Way’s most recent PSA is based on qualitative message testing. Participants were shown images similar to those used in the PSA and asked to respond to the key messages. This research drove the producers to create a compelling approach to illustrate the current challenges that United Way lives united against in communities around the world.

“This campaign re-introduces United Way to a world in dire need of it,” said Brian Ganther, BVK Executive Creative Director. “We’re living in a society where certain people are ostracized, maligned and rejected. There are riots and demonstrations in the streets about who should be allowed into the country, who should have access to health care and education. There are concerns over the care of our veterans, and people attaining wages capable of providing financial stability for working families. This campaign aims to make people uncomfortable about the deepening realities we are facing and shows that United Way will fight for the health, education, and financial stability of every person in every community.”

Every day, United Way Worldwide’s network of over 2,800,000 volunteers throughout 1,800 Local United Ways in 40 countries and territories fight to create lasting community change and positively impact the lives of more than 50,000,000 people.  This is achieved through focused community change work in education, income and health – the building blocks for a good quality of life and a strong community.

To view the PSA, please click here. The PSA will be available on television, radio and online starting in April as well as appear in print publications.

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About United Way Worldwide
United Way fights for the health, education and financial stability of every person in every community. Supported by 2.8 million volunteers, 9.8 million donors worldwide, and more than $4.7 billion raised every year, United Way is the world’s largest privately-funded nonprofit. We’re engaged in nearly 1,800 communities across more than 40 countries and territories worldwide to create sustainable solutions to the challenges facing our communities. United Way partners include global, national and local businesses, nonprofits, government, civic and faith-based organizations, along with educators, labor leaders, health providers, senior citizens, students and more. For more information about United Way, please visit UnitedWay.org. Follow us on Twitter: @UnitedWay and #LiveUnited. www.UnitedWay.org

About BVK
BVK is a full-service, Top 25 independent advertising agency with headquarters in Milwaukee and offices in Chicago, Miami, and Tampa. The agency was founded in 1989 and specializes in the travel and tourism, higher education, healthcare and recreation industries by creating category-changing ideas for brands that create life-changing experiences. www.bvk.com.