Feed the Pig Backgrounder - Feed the Pig Press Kit

							                               FEED THE PIG™
                 AICPA/Ad Council Financial Literacy PSA Campaign

                                      Media Backgrounder


OVERVIEW

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Ad Council together
have embarked on a three-year public service announcement (PSA) campaign called Feed the Pig,
designed to encourage 25 - 34 year olds to take control of their personal finances. It is the first
national financial literacy PSA campaign targeting this demographic.

Feed the Pig is a reference to the traditional piggy bank and, thus, saving. The PSAs introduce
Benjamin Bankes, a smartly dressed pig who is meant to evoke the piggy bank.
The AICPA and the Ad Council chose 25 - 34 year olds as the target audience because their
financial behaviors, though less established, tend toward debt accumulation. They also are
experiencing milestone life events, such as marriage, parenting and home purchases. In addition,
since they have more working time before retirement, their financial decisions have a greater
impact (positive or negative) on their long-term financial security.
According to the U.S. Census, there are approximately 40 million Americans in this
demographic.

Feed the Pig is a component of the AICPA’s 360 Degrees of Financial Literacy, a national effort
to help Americans understand how financial issues affect them at different life stages. The
consumer Web site, www.360financialliteracy.org, has received over 13 million hits. Since its
inception in 2004, the program has won 10 awards, including the American Society of
Association Executive’s 2005 Summit Award, the highest honor for associations that implement
innovative community-based programs.

CAMPAIGN DESCRIPTION

The campaign will reach the target audience through numerous media, including television, radio,
print, internet, digital and outdoor advertising. The target audience will be able to find financial
information and tools to help them make positive changes by visiting a new Web site,
www.FeedthePig.org, and subscribing to a free e-newsletter. For more in-depth information,
visitors will be directed to the 360 site.

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AD COUNCIL

Since World War II, the Ad Council has been the premier national force in public service
advertising, creating campaigns that both raise awareness and inspire action. The Ad Council
galvanizes the advertising and media industries to execute and present social issue advertising on
a pro bono basis. Ad Council PSA slogans and images have become part of the American
culture. Examples include:

•   U.S. Forest Service: Smokey Bear and “Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires.”
•   United Negro College Fund: “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”
•   U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:
    “Friends don’t let friends drive drunk.”
•   National Crime Prevention Campaign: “Take a bite out of crime.”

Most importantly, Ad Council PSA campaigns generate results. For example, following a
campaign to encourage the use of seat belts, seat belt usage has increased from 14 percent to 79
percent since 1982, saving more than 85,000 lives. Within eight months of launching its
mentoring campaign, applications to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America rose by 75 percent.
With results like these, the AICPA determined that the Ad Council was the ideal partner to help
tackle the growing problem of financial illiteracy in America.


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Feed the Pig is a trademark of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.




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