American Red Cross Selects BBDO New York as its Creative Agency of Record

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Jun 16, 2011, 08:00 ET

Agency will help refresh iconic brand across multiple channels

WASHINGTON, June 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Red Cross today announced that it has selected BBDO New York to be its first fully integrated agency partner.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090108/RedCrossLOGO)

BBDO New York, a global agency network expert in building awareness of brands across all communication channels, will help make the iconic 130-year-old Red Cross brand more relevant and differentiated. It will develop a comprehensive advertising and marketing plan designed to build awareness of the full breadth of Red Cross services, increase donations, recruit volunteers, attract business support and strengthen engagement.

"Americans turn to the Red Cross for help and hope in times of emergencies, and we're grateful that so many people support our work during disasters," said Gail McGovern, President & CEO of the Red Cross. "We need to drive greater awareness and understanding of our work in providing nearly half the nation's blood, teaching lifesaving CPR and First Aid skills, and our assistance to members of the military and their families."

Peggy Dyer, the Red Cross Chief Marketing Officer, said, "We gave the agency a challenge to create a rallying cry for the American Red Cross, and BBDO delivered a roadmap that will help build a better future for all humanity. BBDO developed keen insights, powerful creative and an engaging brand narrative to tell the Red Cross story going forward."

The decision was made following a competitive review that spanned several months, and BBDO is providing the non-profit organization with a combination of pro bono and fee-based work.

The first work from BBDO is expected to debut this fall, concurrent with a traditionally busy time in the hurricane season and before the holidays. The campaign will include online and offline work, social media, consumer, business-to-business and collateral materials for both disaster and non-disaster times.

"This was a labor of love and we are extremely gratified to have been selected to help lead the integrated communications for the American Red Cross," said John Osborn, President and CEO of BBDO New York. "We believe that to be a great company, you also need to be a good company. Our values intersect with the values of the Red Cross, and many of our clients are already their partners. This is a chance for us to make a real difference in countless people's lives."

Added David Lubars, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, BBDO North America, "The American Red Cross is made up of people who put themselves in tough situations, roll their sleeves up, and get the job done. We will do the same for them."

ABOUT THE AMERICAN RED CROSS

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies nearly half of the nation's blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit www.redcross.org or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org.

ABOUT BBDO:

BBDO's mantra is "The Work. The Work. The Work." Every day, people in 287 offices in 79 countries work job by job and client by client, to create and deliver the world's most compelling commercial content. BBDO is currently Network of the Year at Cannes, the world's most awarded agency network in The Gunn Report, and the most awarded global agency network across every marketing communications discipline in The Big Won. BBDO is part of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE-OMC) (www.omnicomgroup.com), a leading global marketing and corporate communications company.

SOURCE American Red Cross