» Client: National Geographic Education Foundation
» Job: Design a multimedia campaign aimed at students, teachers and parents that will raise awareness of the Education Foundation’s push to improve geography education in U.S. schools. The five-year, National Geographic-led campaign was launched in May after a 2006 poll that found the majority of 18- to 24-year-olds lack basic geographic literacy. For example, 6 in 10 young adults surveyed could not find Iraq on a map of the Middle East, while one-third could not locate Louisiana.
» Agency: Manning, Selvage & Lee in Washington, D.C.
» Theme: “My Wonderful World”
» The Concept: The main centerpiece of the campaign is the Web site www.MyWonderfulWorld.org. The site provides fun, educational tools — such as games, quizzes and blogs — for students, parents and teachers. “Obviously, if you’re targeting students and their parents and teachers, you want a Web focus because so much of what students do today is on the Web,” said Michael King, vice president of Manning, Selvage & Lee. A broader outreach program, that includes public service announcements, promotional events, grassroots activities and e-mail
campaigns, was designed to drive people to the Web site. In addition, the site has a section to help teachers and parents lobby their local representatives for more education funding.
» The Plan: The agency secured coverage for the National Geographic campaign with “good, old-fashioned earned media,” said King. Rather than placing paid advertisements, Manning, Selvage & Lee reps used a full-court press public relations campaign to garner press coverage. Since the campaign’s May launch, more than 400 stories on My Wonderful World have run in print, television and radio. Even more coverage is expected as the campaign gears up for a back-to-school push that will include a mass mailing of My Wonderful World materials to hundreds of PTAs across the county and a family-oriented sweepstakes.
» Creative Team: Chuck Alston and Mike Konczal (account directors), Michael King (vice president, grassroots network coordinator), Jonathan Keeling (partnerships), Hae Jin Shin (publicity and media), Kiernan Doherty (media relations).
» Ages: 23 to 52
» Background: The eclectic creative team includes a former political reporter, a think-tank director, a political appointee and public relations veterans who have worked on campaigns for high-profile clients such as the U.S. Army, ESPN Foundation, Harvard University and General Motors.
Working on Next: Campaigns and projects for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Best Buy, Dartmouth Atlas and Consumers United Against Rail Equity.
