STOMP Out Bullying and Flint & Steel Aim to "Make Bullying History" with New PSA

NEW YORK, July 10, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, nearly 66 percent of teens have reported instances of bullying to a teacher, parent or authority figure and four out of five (81 percent) teens have stood up to bullying in the past. Despite these acts of bravery, the growing concern continues and new cases are being reported on an hourly basis. To help teens who are personally affected by, or have witnessed this behavior, find the help and support they need, STOMP Out Bullying, the leading national anti-bullying organization, is raising awareness of their successful Blue Shirt Day® World of Bullying Prevention™ campaign with a new PSA created pro bono by agency Flint & Steel.

The new PSA titled "Bullying is History" is rooted in the belief that this discriminatory behavior seen in schools should be a thing of the past. The video conveys this message in a humorous way by placing an 18^th century bully, Tobias, in a modern day school. Throughout the PSA, Tobias proceeds to shout Old English insults at these modern students who look on with disgust and confusion. The goal of this depiction is to paint a picture that bullying should be history and has no place in today's culture. Viewers are encouraged to support this idea by wearing STOMP Out Bullying's 2017 limited-edition blue shirt on Monday October 2^nd, World Day of Bullying Prevention.

"It's evident that today's youth are exposed to more acts of bullying than ever before. That's why it's so important that we talk about bullying with them in a way that will resonate. At STOMP Out Bullying, we hope to end the cruel behavior once and for all by emphasizing the need to change the culture to one that promotes civility and not hate," said Ross Ellis, CEO and Founder of STOMP Out Bullying. "I'm honored to work with Flint & Steel on this new PSA for Blue Shirt Day World Day of Bullying Prevention. Our hope is to reach this audience of students in a new and innovative way and create a greater awareness of the need to put an end to bullying."

Blue Shirt Day World Day of Bullying Prevention is an annual campaign that takes place on the first Monday in October to kick off and signify the importance of National Bullying Prevention Awareness month. The campaign raises much needed awareness and funds to stop bullying. More importantly, it gives individuals a voice, making it the day that bullying prevention is heard around the world. This year, October 2, 2017 marks the 10^th year of the campaign, and Hollister Co. will be the sole provider of the Blue Shirts for World Day of Bullying Prevention. Beginning July 6^th tees will be available for purchase at Hollister Co. http://bit.ly/2uSxR1M

"We are thrilled to lend our creative expertise to STOMP Out Bullying's anti-bullying efforts. And we were excited to film an experiment where we put a 'bullying' actor into a real school environment with real students to spark authentic reactions. Rather than a canned response, the students' legitimate aversion to our 'out-of-time' bully demonstrated the general condemnation of bullying more than any scripted reaction ever could." Said Chris Mckee, Flint and Steel's CMO, "And we knew that depicting the message in a 'fail' video format would resonate with our audience."

The PSA will be distributed to more than 1,000 media outlets nationwide and can also be seen on Creative Media Technologies Taxi screens throughout the country. The PSA can be viewed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kap8nP_6Y5I

Learn more about STOMP Out Bullying's mission and what you can do to fight against the issue at www.StompOutBullying.org. Like us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/StompOutBullying/) and follow us on Twitter (@STOMPOutBullying).

About STOMP Out Bullying:
STOMP Out Bullying is the leading national anti-bullying organization for kids and teens. A pioneer on the issue, STOMP Out Bullying is recognized as the most influential anti-bullying and cyberbullying organization in America. The Organization is dedicated to reducing and preventing bullying, cyberbullying, sexting and other digital abuse, education against homophobia, racism and hatred, decreasing school absenteeism, and deterring violence in schools, online and in communities across the country. It teaches effective solutions on how to respond to all forms of bullying; as well as educating kids and teens in school and online.

About Flint & Steel:
Flint & Steel creates marketing solutions that spark meaningful and durable engagement - transforming consumers into enthusiasts and brands into advocates. From content, to digital, to innovation, we mimic the mojo of cultural phenoms and provide our clients with the functional benefits of an intellectual property. It's the only way to ensure ideas that SPARK new sales, advocacy, partners, channels and more. Let others be the aspirin, we want to be the vitamin.

Media Contact:
Megan Tucker
[email protected]
212-994-7589

SOURCE STOMP Out Bullying

Related Links

http://www.StompOutBullying.org