Over the last few years there have been a myriad of conversations around economic mobility, “talent shortages,” and efforts to create a more equitable workforce. Now, the Ad Council is launching a campaign from agency Ogilvy that shines a light on the skills and potential of the 70+ million workers in the U.S. who are Skilled Through Alternative Routes (STARs), rather than through a bachelor’s degree.
STARs make up 50% of the U.S. workforce, and they’ve built valuable skills through community college, workforce training, certificate programs, military service, or on-the-job learning. The “paper ceiling” they face represents the invisible barriers (like biased algorithms, degree screens, stereotypes, and the lack of alumni networks) that hold STARs back from upward mobility in their careers. By creating a movement to acknowledge this barrier exists, we can start to break it down.
"Tear the Paper Ceiling" is a landmark initiative led by the Ad Council and Opportunity@Work to change mindsets, transform hiring practices, and move more workers without college degrees into higher-wage roles. The initiative is supported by a coalition of 30+ nonprofits, talent developers, and businesses including Comcast NBCUniversal, Google, IBM, LinkedIn and Walmart.
This anthem PSA was directed by Gabriel Novis of production house Los York.
CreditsClient The Ad Council Michelle Hillman, chief campaign development officer; Dzu Bui, VP, group campaign director; Mary Zost, campaign director; Kayla Sykes, assistant campaign manager. Agency Ogilvy Devika Bulchandani, global president and CEO; Liz Taylor, global chief creative officer; Chris Beresford-Hill, president, Ogilvy Advertising, North America ; Anibal Casso, chief strategy officer, North America; Carina De Blois, president, New York; Menno Kluin, Marcos Kotlhar, chief creative officers, New York; George Sholley, head of production, North America ; Jeff Curry, global executive creative director ; Andrea Messer, Dinesh Kapoor, group creative directors; Jonathan Gibson, executive group director; Jess Ryle, producer; Grace Donahue, sr. art director; Gillian Goodman, sr. copywriter; Yung Lee, sr. designer ; Anna Fecskes, executive producer, experiential. Production Los York Gabriel Novis, director; Jeremy Snell, DP. Editorial Cut+Run Mah Ferraz, editor. Music Found Objects
NHS England, M&C Saatchi UK, Director Tom Tagholm Team On PSA Highlighting The Overlooked Signs Of A Stroke
National Health Service (NHS) England has unveiled a multichannel campaign, “Act FAST,” to raise awareness of the individual signs of a stroke and get people to call 999 as soon as they suspect they may be experiencing any one symptom. The push, which is part of the ongoing “Help Us, Help You” campaign, was developed in partnership with M&C Saatchi UK.
The campaign depicts everyday situations where everything might seem relatively normal, but where there’s the sign of someone experiencing a stroke.
A key component of the campaign is this :30--directed by Tom Tagholm of Various Films--which sets up the idea that initially, a stroke might not seem like much, highlighting key symptoms: from struggling to use a paint roller, to not being able to smile when watching TV, to slurring your speech when reading a story to your grandchild. The PSA emphasizes that time is critical, ending with the line: “Face or arm or speech, at the first sign, it’s time to call 999.”
Jo Bacon, Group CEO, M&C Saatchi UK, said, “We want to ensure people take action on the first symptom, rather than waiting for more conclusive signs. To help them understand that even when everything seems normal, something serious might be happening.”
Matt Lee, executive creative director, M&C Saatchi UK, commented: “This is important work. We wanted to explore that precise moment when your world shifts, quietly yet powerfully, off its axis during a stroke. We highlight how a tiny external moment can actually be seismic—an extraordinary gear change, framed in a really ordinary way.”
Director Tagholm shared, “My Dad suffered a stroke a few years ago and was saved from the worst by acting quickly, and by the work of the NHS. So there’s... Read More