The Advertising Council announced today that actress and comedienne Tina Fey will host its 56th Annual Public Service Award Dinner. The event, to be held on November 18th at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City, will honor Muhtar Kent, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Coca-Cola Company.
Tina Fey is the creator, writer, executive producer and star of the 3 time Emmy award-winning NBC comedy series 30 Rock. Fey’s charity work includes activities on behalf of Autism Speaks, the Ad Council’s partner on their national Autism Awareness PSA campaign. Fey is also the 2009 spokesperson for the 2009 Light the Night Walk, which benefits the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
“We are thrilled to have Tina Fey host our Annual Public Service Award Dinner this year in honor of Muhtar Kent,” said Peggy Conlon, President and CEO of the Ad Council. “Tina is a brilliant comedienne, actress and producer, and I know she will be a wonderful host.”
Previous hosts of the Ad Council’s dinner include Ellen DeGeneres, Brian Williams, Diane Sawyer and Anderson Cooper. Attended by prominent members of the media, advertising and corporate communities, the dinner serves as a tribute to the industries and individuals who support the Ad Council and its public service advertising (PSA) campaigns. In keeping with tradition, this year’s award will be presented by last year’s recipient, Jeffrey Immelt, Chairman and CEO, GE. The dinner is being chaired by Brian Perkins, Corporate Vice President, Johnson & Johnson, and Chair of the Ad Council.
The public service award dinner is the Ad Council’s largest fundraising event for the Ad Council, raising $2.4 million last year. Platinum sponsors include Time Warner Inc. and Yahoo! Inc. who are underwriting the After-party and cocktail reception respectively.
Previous recipients of the Annual Public Service A ward include Dick Parsons (Time Warner), Bill Weldon (Johnson & Johnson), Ken Chenault (American Express), Bob Wright (GE/NBC), Ted Turner, Katharine Graham and A.G. Lafley (Procter & Gamble).
The Ad Council is a 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. To learn more about the Ad Council and its campaigns, visit www.adcouncil.org.