ACC Launches New TV Ads

The American Chemistry Council has launched the next phase of its two-year-old public education program, debuting two television advertisements designed to increase the public's awareness of chemistry's contributions to modern life and the industry's key role in the U.S. economy.

ACC CEO Jack N. Gerard says the new TV ads, part of the trade group's multi-million-dollar "essential₂" advertising campaign, "reflect on the value we provide to society," and seek to "close the information gap between the public and their understanding of us in the business of chemistry."

Gerard says ACC plans to spend approximately $20 million during the next year on the effort, which will include print and broadcast advertising, banner ads on targeted websites, public relations, and employee communications.

About $14 million will be spent on the two TV ads, which will run through September 2008 on a variety of national cable news, sports, and entertainment networks, including CNN, Fox News Channel, Discovery Channel, History Channel, and ESPN. In addition, broadcast spots will air on local television stations in the Houston, New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C., areas through the end of 2007.

"It's a relatively modest buy, but it's a very important buy, because it's clearly a compelling message and it has been demonstrated to be effective," Gerard remarks.

Before the campaign was launched in September 2005, an ACC survey showed that 47% of "informed Americans" had a favorable view of the chemical industry. That figure has improved to 50%, says ACC communications manager Stephen Gardner.

Gardner also notes that the number of inquiries the trade group receives from the general public seeking information about the industry or about particular chemicals has jumped dramatically. "We were getting three or four of those kinds of questions a month. Now we get 300 to 400 a month," he says.