Public Service Announcements (PSAs)
For Recovery Month 2005, SAMHSA produced two new radio and television public service announcements in English and Spanish. The 2005 PSAs were developed to inform the public about the effectiveness of treatment for substance use disorders, the nature of addiction and the recovery process, and the tremendous need to increase treatment service capacity across the country.
One of the 2005 PSAs, "Treat Me," addressed the stigma associated with people who suffer from substance use disorders. Addiction affects men and women of all ages, from every race and ethnic group, and from different social circumstances - and it is never too early or too late to benefit from treatment. People who are in treatment for substance use disorders deserve to be treated with respect and admiration for fighting and winning one of the hardest battles there is - addiction.
"Treat Me" received two silver awards for demonstrating excellence in production during the fall Omni Intermedia Awards season. The Omni Intermedia Awards recognize the accomplishments of outstanding media productions in a variety of fields. The awards were given in the areas of Public Service and Government. The Omni Intermedia Awards are owned and operated by Media Corp Inc. and are judged by a panel of talented professionals from highly respected companies. Each area of the competition is evaluated by a board of advisors with expertise in that respective area. Only submissions that exhibit the highest level of production are recognized, which made this a very exciting accomplishment.
"Treat Me," also received a Gold Mercury Award for outstanding achievement in communications in the government public service category. The Mercury Awards are given by MerComm, Inc. which was founded in 1987 with the purpose of advancing the arts and sciences of communications in an international arena. MerComm strives to establish and promote high standards of individual and collective achievement by recognizing the multi-disciplines involved in professional communications. MerComm's award programs are now in their nineteenth year drawing over 3,900 entries from around the world. There mission is to honor the individuals whose work has made an outstanding contribution to their organization, corporation, or client.
The second PSA, "Artist," featured a young artist who shared his struggle toward recovery. His journey began as he found himself isolated and alone, facing depression and a substance use disorder. Once he sought treatment, he was able to surround himself with people he loved and find recovery through his art. The PSA emphasized the beauty and reconnection to society that is associated with recovery from substance use disorders.
The broadcast PSAs put an everyday face on addiction and recovery, and offered SAMHSA's 24 hour, toll free National Helpline, 1 800 662-HELP, as a call to action if viewers, or someone they know, is in need of treatment. All PSAs were produced in English and Spanish in 15-second and 30-second lengths.
The "Treat Me" and "Artist" TV and radio English and Spanish 2005 PSAs were also submitted as part of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy's (ONDCP) Media Match Campaign.
SAMHSA distributed the PSAs to national and local stations and airlines' in-flight entertainment departments.
In 2005, SAMHSA also created open ended spots for customization. These open ended spots allowed local television stations and community groups to personalize the PSAs with their logo, slogan, or telephone number at the end of the PSA. These spots were available via SAMHSA's National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI).
In addition to the 2005 public service announcements, SAMHSA continued to track previous years' spots throughout 2005. These spots - "Boat", "Tony", "Crosswalk", "Psyched Up", "Runner", and "Subtitles" - were all produced in English and Spanish and continue to make an enormous impact on people in recovery and those who have helped them on their path to recovery.
Television PSAs
The 2005 television spots, "Treat Me" and "Artist," were distributed to 1,089 TV stations and networks, including 80 Spanish stations nationwide. From August through December 2005, the PSAs aired 6,433 times (equaling 43.21 broadcast hours) through 342 outlets reaching 175 markets, at an estimated earned media value of $663,997 and 92,741,692 in viewer impressions.
Since 2002 through December 2005, the 12 spots released in previous years continued to air, producing an estimated earned media value of $10,238,049 and 883,858,771 in viewer impressions.
In total, the overall estimated earned media value for all television PSAs released from 2002 through 2005 is $10,902,046 with a collective viewership of 976,600,463.
A major accomplishment in 2005 was that the 2005 "Treat Me" PSA was selected for airing in New York's Times Square on the Panasonic Astrovision throughout the month of August. According to the Times Square Alliance, 1.5 million people of various demographics pass through Times Square every day. This was a tremendous opportunity to showcase the message of recovery in a highly visible location, and it is a testament to the success of the Recovery Month efforts.
Radio PSAs
The 2005 radio spots, "Treat Me" and "Artist," were produced in English and Spanish in 20-second and 30-second lengths and were distributed to nearly 3,500 radio stations nationwide. From August through December 2005, the radio spots were broadcast 32,793 times (equaling 245.57 broadcast hours) through 209 outlets reaching 173 cities in 46 states, resulting in an estimated earned media value of $1,703,327 and 197,615,530 in listener impressions.
From 2002 through December 2005, 12 additional spots from previous Recovery Month efforts continued to air, producing an estimated earned media value of $5,856,924 and 564,811,779 in listener impressions.
In total, the overall estimated earned media value for all radio PSAs released from 2002 through 2005 is $7,560,251 with a collective listenership of 762,427,309.
