The Advertising Council in collaboration with the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation (NMSF), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Department of Interior, and Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, announced today the launch of a new series of public service advertisements (PSAs) designed to raise awareness among all Americans about the health of the oceans.
The campaign launch comes the same day that NOAA issues a report stating that half the coral reef ecosystems under United States jurisdiction are considered by scientists to be in “poor” or “fair” condition and that marine debris is a significant contributor to that decline.
More than half of the nation’s population lives along the coast, while many others visit the ocean each year. Yet, few Americans are aware that the health of our oceans is currently at risk; nor do they realize that they have a significant and vital role to play in keeping the oceans clean.
The majority of marine debris is comprised of plastics, which cause environmental problems since they degrade even more slowly in seawater than on land. According to the Ocean Conservancy, cigarette lighters/butts/packaging, food wrappers, and beverage containers are among the top ten debris items collected in the oceans every year.
The new ads, which prominently feature scenes and characters from Disney’s all-new ocean themed animated direct-to-DVD film, The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning (debuting on DVD August 26) will help to deliver this vital environmental message in a family friendly way. The PSAs are designed to encourage all Americans to identify ways they can take action to protect our oceans from harmful debris and remind viewers to visit www.keepoceansclean.org to learn how you can help to keep our oceans clean.
“The PSAs are a family friendly way to show that our planet’s water is connected, part of one giant system that flows across countries, continents and hemispheres,” said Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne. “Even on a beautiful beach at Midway Island in the Pacific, thousands of miles from civilization, I picked up cigarette lighters and other marine debris,” he said. “Such pollution comes from all of us. Litter thrown on the street miles away from a river can end up in the river, make its way into our oceans, and wind up in places near and far.”
“The Department of Commerce and NOAA are pleased to join with our partners in launching this effort. It is important that each American recognizes that individual actions impact the health of the ocean; no matter how far they live from the ocean. I encourage everyone to reduce, reuse and recycle to help keep our oceans healthy and clean,” Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez said.
“We are excited to continue our partnership with the environmental communities to bring attention to this critical issue” said Peggy Conlon, President & CEO of The Advertising Council. “I am confident that this campaign will convey how important and easy it is for all of us to protect our oceans.”
“The good news is that the problem of trash in our oceans is one that CAN be solved,” said Dr. Sylvia Earle, National Marine Sanctuary Foundation Trustee Emerita. “As this campaign points out, each one of us can make a huge difference by being more aware of how we dispose of trash. That in turn can have a major impact on not only the health of coral reefs but also on all life in the ocean.”
The new PSAs are available for TV (English and Spanish), outdoor and internet advertising. Per the Ad Council model, the PSAs will run and air in advertising time and space that is donated by the media.
National Marine Sanctuary Fund
The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation is the private, non-profit partner to the federally managed National Marine Sanctuary System; and was created to inspire all people to preserve, protect and promote our nationwide network of marine sanctuaries. These 14 marine protected areas encompass more than 150,000 square miles of marine and Great Lakes waters stretching from the Florida Keys to the Hawaiian Islands, from Lake Huron to the Gulf of Mexico. Through public and private sector partnerships the Foundation creates conservation-based research, education and outreach programs designed to connect the public with these special ocean and coastal resources. www.NMSFocean.org.
NOAA
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, an agency of the U.S. Commerce Department, is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and information service delivery for transportation, and by providing environmental stewardship of our nation’s coastal and marine resources. Through the emerging Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), NOAA is working with its federal partners, more than 70 countries and the European Commission to develop a global monitoring network that is as integrated as the planet it observes, predicts and protects.
DOI
The Department of interior (DOI) plays a vital role in ocean, coastal and Great Lakes conservation. The National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Minerals Management Service, and Office of Insular Affairs together manage more than 35,000 miles of coastline, 169 island and coastal refuges, 34 million acres in 74 coastal parks, and 1.8 billion underwater acres of outer continental shelf lands. Additionally, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) cooperatively manages the California Coastal National Monument, running along the entire 840 mile California coast. Through the U.S. Geological Survey, the DOI conducts extensive scientific research on oceans and coastal mapping.
WALT DISNEY STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Walt Disney Home Entertainment is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Worldwide Home Entertainment, Inc., a recognized industry leader. Walt Disney Studios Worldwide Home Entertainment is the marketing, sales and distribution company for Walt Disney, Touchstone, Hollywood Pictures, Miramax, and Buena Vista DVDs and Blu-rays.
ABOUT DISNEY’S WORLDWIDE OUTREACH & THE DISNEY WORLDWIDE CONSERVATION FUND
Through global outreach programs, local community initiatives and the Disney VoluntEARS, Disney positively impacts the lives of children, their communities and the environment. In tandem with the Company’s outreach efforts, the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund (DWCF) was created to focus on the protection of the world’s wildlife, marine life and ecosystems. The DWCF has supported more than 750 projects in 110 countries including programs to study and conserve sea turtles, dolphins, manatees, fish and other ocean life.
Last year, Disney donated more than $177 million in cash and in-kind support to various charities around the world and since the inception of the Disney VoluntEARS program in 1983, Disney Employees and Cast Members in over 42 countries, have donated over 5,000,000 hours of service to a variety of projects including beach and ocean cleanups. For more information on Disney’s outreach efforts, please visit www.DisneyOutreach.com. For more information on Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund, please visit www.disneyconservation.com
The Advertising Council
The Ad Council (www.adcouncil.org) is a private, non-profit organization that marshals talent from the advertising and communications industries, the facilities of the media, and the resources of the business and non-profit communities to produce, distribute and promote public service campaigns on behalf of non-profit organizations and government agencies in issue areas such as improving the quality of life for children, preventive health, education, community well-being, environmental preservation and strengthening families.
