The ads, cumulatively titled “Don’t believe the type,” were designed pro bono by New York advertising firm Merkley + Partners for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). NCMEC and the Ad Council have nationally deployed the PSAs today.
According to figures released by Pew Research, 87 percent of teens use the Internet. Recent figures from the Department of Justice further indicate that a significant number of children and teens between 10 and 17, particularly teen girls, have been preyed on or stalked by online predators.
“Online predators know what they’re doing,” one ad says. “Do you?”
This is the second ad campaign jointly produced by NCMEC and the Ad Council. The first warned parents of the potential dangers their children face online. This one is directed at teen girls. This series of ads comes as Congress is about to declare June National Internet Safety Month.
“Our research shows that many teen girls are not aware of the potential dangers of communicating with older men online and they believe that it can lead to genuine relationships,” said Peggy Conlon, President & CEO of The Advertising Council.
“These new dramatic, yet identifiable, ads will continue the awareness we achieved in the first round of work by showing girls the potential dangers and empowering them with resources to help protect themselves against online sexual predators.
In addition to being created pro bono, the ads will run on donated air time from 28,000 media outlets nationwide.
“Our goal is to reach teens before predators do,” said NCMEC President Ernie Allen. “The Ad Council campaign has proven successful in reaching adults, and we hope that our message will carry over to teen girls to help them identify, prevent and report sexual exploitation they encounter while online.”
To view the ads, click here.
