photo by steed media service

The Ad Council has been responsible for some of the most iconic public service announcements in media. Most of them, such as the “Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires” and others, have become touchstones in American popular culture. Karen Volkman, managing director for the Midwestern region, works to ensure that those much-needed PSAs make it to the proper outlets so that they can touch people. “I call on 11 states in the Midwest to solicit media to support public service campaigns,” she explains. “I work on securing donated media from radio, TV, newspaper, outdoor and digital outlets in the Midwest to support issues that are presented by the Ad Council.”

The Ad Council works hard to make sure that critical societal issues don’t remain under the radar. “We work on contemporary issues, such as reducing gun violence, college access [and] underage drinking,” says Volkman.

Over the years, the Ad Council has been behind such iconic ads as “Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk;” the Crash Test Dummies safety belt ads; and the United Negro College Fund’s “A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Waste.” “[The UNCF] is an active campaign that is over 35 years old, and has raised over 2 billion dollars and educated over 350,000 minority students,” shares Volkman.

For Volkman, it’s extremely gratifying to contribute to keeping the public informed. “We’re trying to get the message out to take a personal action and make our society a better place,” she says. “At the end of the day, you know [that] you’ve made a difference. It’s [inspiring.]” -todd williams

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