The AD Council and the American Stroke Association Launch New PSAs to Encourage Early Response to Symptoms

New Work Targets African-Americans for the first time

NEW YORK- The Advertising Council and the American Stroke Association announced today the launch of new public service advertisements (PSAs) intended to raise awareness of the early symptoms of stroke and increase immediate stroke recognition and response. The PSAs have two distinct creative components designed to reach both the general public and African-American audience.

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in America. In fact, according to the American Stroke Association, someone suffers a stroke every 45 seconds. Besides claiming nearly 164,000 American lives annually, stroke is also a leading cause of long-term disability. Yet, if emergency medical treatment is administered within three hours of the onset of a stroke, the risks of brain injury and disability can be greatly reduced.

Initially launched in April 2003, the object of the campaign is to raise awareness of the warning signs of stroke and empower bystanders and potential victims to communicate the importance of seeking immediate medical attention.

The American Stroke Association reports that the African-American community is a population that has almost twice the risk of first-ever stroke compared to their Caucasian counterparts. In response, radio PSAs, created pro bono by GlobalHue, have been developed to communicate these critical messages of early response to the African-American community. The spots feature celebrities such as musicians, Will Downing and Kelly Price, who have volunteered their time and their voice to help deliver these important messages to their communities.

Additionally, new print ads, created pro bono by Carmichael Lynch, target the general public and feature a photo of a brain with facts about how stroke attacks the brain, indicating that immediate action is critical. On the bottom of each ad is the campaign tagline, "With a Stroke, Time Lost is Brain Lost."

"We are thrilled to be working with these two wonderful agencies in helping to get the critical message about stroke early response to their communities," according to Peggy Conlon, President and CEO of The Advertising Council. "And I believe that these messages will help to save so many lives from a possible stroke."

"The American Stroke Association is committed to raising awareness of the warning signs of stroke and the importance of seeking immediate medical attention," said Claire Bassett, American Heart Association board member. "We are excited about our collaboration with the Ad Council and the commitment of musical entertainers Will Downing and Kelly Price to reach key audiences most at risk for stroke."

"The high incidence of strokes in the African American community is a national concern," said Donald A. Coleman, chairman and CEO of GlobalHue. "What Will Downing is doing with the Stroke Association's 2004 Urban Radio campaign is encouraging African Americans to take better care of themselves and to see their doctors regularly. When we start doing that, we can begin to reduce the high occurrence of strokes in our community."

The Ad Council is distributing the new PSAs to media outlets nationwide. Per the Ad Council's model, all of the PSAs will run and air in advertising time and space that is donated by the media.

About The American Stroke Association

The goal of the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association, is to reduce disability and death from stroke through research, education and advocacy. In its 2002-03 fiscal year, the association spent $141.4 million on stroke.

About Carmichael Lynch

Carmichael Lynch uses creative leverage to build strong brands in unprecedented ways. Its creative leverage crosses all disciplines: advertising, relationship marketing, interactive, media, public relations, and design. Clients include Harley-Davidson, Northwest Airlines, Porsche, American Standard, Formica, Trex and Rapala. CL has been deemed 'best in the nation' as winner of the 2001 and 2002 4A's O'Toole Award for general excellence. Carmichael Lynch is owned by the Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE: IPG), New York. To learn more about Carmichael Lynch, visit www.carmichaellynch.com

About The Advertising 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 effected, and continues to effect, tremendous positive change by raising awareness, inspiring action, and saving lives.