UNITED WAY CAMPAIGN TELLS TRUE TALES
By Adnews Staff
A new advertising campaign for United Way of Greater Toronto features real people and their true stories. The campaign was created pro bono by Vickers & Benson Advertising of Toronto and focuses on three individuals, each in different situations, who have been helped by United Way. Print ads in newspapers and magazines, 30-second television and radio spots and transit advertising, are used for each individual to tell their story, in their own words. The campaign's tagline is "your money got to me." One woman explains how her mother-in-law, who suffers from Alzheimer's, was able to remain in a home environment with the help of United Way. Another tells how she overcame alcohol and drug addictions when she became pregnant and a third individual explains how in becoming a chef, he started cooking food instead of heroin. The campaign's concept has also extended into direct mail pieces and the United Way's Web site. All media space has been donated by local and national media outlets. Advertising is targeting both donors and individuals in need. The campaign is scheduled in conjunction with United Way's fundraising campaign running mid-Sept. through the end of the year. A separate Cantonese ad effort will follow later this fall, targeting the Chinese market in the Greater Toronto Area. The campaign was created pro bono by Prime Advertising of Toronto and focuses on issues such as elder care and family violence using television, radio and print executions.