WASHINGTON: ONE, a global advocacy organization, launched its first national campaign targeting young people with "Coming Together as ONE," a celebrity-filled PSA about fighting extreme poverty and preventable disease.
"The primary goal is to recruit young people to join ONE, and get active in the fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease. And more broadly than that, it's to raise awareness," said Kathy McKiernan, global communications director for ONE. "The prime audience for this spot is young people, so our primary push is online and through social media."
The PSA originally launched on YouTube on November 30 and was also featured on MySpace. ONE promoted the new campaign through e-mail blasts to its current members, news and entertainment Web sites, and Facebook and Twitter, encouraging its celebrity partners, including Twilight's Ashley Greene, Gossip Girl's Leighton Meester, and High School Musical's Corbin Bleu, to also use social media to spread the word.
"One of the key messages in the PSA is that progress is being made, but more needs to be done," McKiernan said. "The progress there specifically refers to progress on AIDS, malaria, and getting kids into schools in poor countries." The campaign introduced statistics to back up this message in the PSA, as well as in press materials.
The PSA will make its TV debut on The CW during an episode of Gossip Girl on December 2.
"We have multiple stars from Gossip Girl in this spot, and a star from 90210, and that's why we approached them, in addition to, of course, that The CW is a very popular network for young people, so it's just perfect for what we're trying to achieve," McKiernan said.
She added that the campaign will continue into 2010, with new versions of the "Coming Together as ONE" PSA and plans to partner with more networks and entertainment companies.
"The primary goal is to recruit young people to join ONE, and get active in the fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease. And more broadly than that, it's to raise awareness," said Kathy McKiernan, global communications director for ONE. "The prime audience for this spot is young people, so our primary push is online and through social media."
The PSA originally launched on YouTube on November 30 and was also featured on MySpace. ONE promoted the new campaign through e-mail blasts to its current members, news and entertainment Web sites, and Facebook and Twitter, encouraging its celebrity partners, including Twilight's Ashley Greene, Gossip Girl's Leighton Meester, and High School Musical's Corbin Bleu, to also use social media to spread the word.
"One of the key messages in the PSA is that progress is being made, but more needs to be done," McKiernan said. "The progress there specifically refers to progress on AIDS, malaria, and getting kids into schools in poor countries." The campaign introduced statistics to back up this message in the PSA, as well as in press materials.
The PSA will make its TV debut on The CW during an episode of Gossip Girl on December 2.
"We have multiple stars from Gossip Girl in this spot, and a star from 90210, and that's why we approached them, in addition to, of course, that The CW is a very popular network for young people, so it's just perfect for what we're trying to achieve," McKiernan said.
She added that the campaign will continue into 2010, with new versions of the "Coming Together as ONE" PSA and plans to partner with more networks and entertainment companies.
