This Fall, PlowShare welcomed three new hires: Emily McKee and Jim Newman, as Account Managers, and Carole van Almelo as online and new media Manager.

Congrats to Maria who was recognized as" Woman of the Year" 2012-2013 from The National Association of Professional Women (NAPW) for her efforts and accomplishments working with non-profit organizations. She also attended the AMC (American Magazine Conference) that hosts more than 300 top-level magazine executives, editors and other notable media. It was clear that the Magazine industry is still strong and continues to expand. Digital magazines are not replacing hard copies- in fact, just adding another advertising option.

Katie is busy working with the New York City Department of Transportation placing their upcoming "LOOK" campaign, reminding New Yorkers to drive, bike, and walk safely, and "Be The Man", an upcoming anti- driving while intoxicated campaign.

Jeff and Wendy are leading a PlowShare team including Emily, Lisa, and Carole for the next phase of CDC's "Tips from Former Smokers" PSA campaign.

Other highlights this season included a Veteran's Day push for clients U.S. Marines and the Wounded Warrior Project; preparation for the Girl Scouts upcoming 2013 Cookie Campaign; a major assist to the American Red Cross in response to Superstorm Sandy; and promoting National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's COPD Awareness month.

We were in attendance at the National Conference on Tobacco or Health, along with our partners from GolinHarris, Legacy, MPG and Arnold Worldwide. Wendy participated in the Media Networks Ancillary Meeting, providing expert feedback during an "Ask the Experts" session and in a roundtable discussion about the "Tips" campaign. Plowshare attended many interesting sessions on tobacco control topics and concluded the conference at AdFest, where our compilation video on the Tips campaign was presented.

Plowshare also attended the 2012 American Marketing Association Nonprofit Marketing Conference in early July. As exhibitors, we had the opportunity to meet and speak with organizations such as the American Cancer Society, The Alzheimer's Association and The Humane Society of United States. Katie and Eric were able to attend engaging and entertaining breakout sessions. Although we were a bit partial to the "Storytelling: The First Big Thing" by Andy Goodman, since we did nominate him as a speaker!

Tom and the Account Team are busy preparing three new campaigns for the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) promoting Physical Activity for the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition (PCFSN); promoting Breast-Feeding and targeting Obesity.

Casting is also underway for the next round of "Tips from Former Smokers", the highly successful anti-tobacco campaign for the Center for Disease Control (CDC). Casting was also completed for an upcoming campaign for Wounded Warrior Project.

Plowshare also welcomed Carole van Almelo as it's resident digital/online media manager.

But not all work and some play: mid-month, the staff took a "retreat" together, sailing around NYC on the Circle Line Cruise. A grand time was had by all.

CDC anticipates some 50,000 smokers will end their addiction as a result of the ad campaign. It is estimated this will result in an annual savings of approximately $70 million dollars in medical and productivity costs.

The campaign featured a diverse set of ads profiling people who are living with the effects of smoking-related diseases. It marked the first time a federal agency had developed and placed advertisements for a national tobacco education campaign. The ads in the "Tips from Former Smokers" campaign show how smoking-related diseases have change the way these former smokers eat, dress and perform many other daily tasks that most people take for granted.

Overall call volume to 1-800-QUIT-NOW more than doubled during the campaign, and weekly website volume tripled compared with levels prior to the campaign. There have been more than 365,000 calls to 1-800-QUIT-NOW and almost 630,000 unique visitors to www.smokefree.gov since the campaign began. Based on calculations using data from the week prior to the campaign as a baseline, the campaign generated nearly 192,000 additional calls to 1-800 QUIT-NOW and an additional 417,000 unique visitors to the website.

Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the United States, killing more than 1,200 Americans every day. About 8.6 million Americans are living with a smoking-related disease. Each day, over 1,000 youth under 18 become daily smokers. Smoking-related diseases cost Americans $96 billion a year in direct health care expenses, a substantial portion of which come in the form of taxpayer-supported payments.

The campaign is an important counter to the nearly $10 billion spent annually by the tobacco industry to make cigarettes more attractive and more available, particularly to youth and young adults. The campaign cost $54 million dollars to develop and implement – the amount the tobacco industry spends on advertising and promoting cigarettes in just two days.

For more information on the campaign, including profiles of the former smokers, other campaign resources and links to the ads, visit www.cdc.gov/Quitting/Tips.

"In a unique way PlowShare is a family and a very talented one. Under the leadership of Jeff Boal and John LaRock they are the largest distributor of public service announcements in the country We at the Shelter feel like we have been taken into their family. In ways big and small, and a list so very long including financial support, meal service, creative help at Gala time PlowShare has been 'there for us"!

Since its inception, Jeff has created and made the David Mond Award; on his birthday John has his birthday cake sent to the shelter; at gala time, Lisa has lent us her graphic expertise. And Annmarie has been the one to keep the spirit alive. Every family needs a cheer leader.

This corporate award is unusual in that it goes to each member of the PlowShare team: we are so appreciative of their commitment, enthusiasm and dedication to the Shelter for the Homeless and for the joy they bring to our work together.

For its ongoing support of the Shelter we proudly present the 2012 Rays of Hope Corporate Award to PlowShare."

March 2010

The Plowshare Group is proud to be the contractor for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's "Tips from Former Smokers" advertising campaign. Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the U.S. and this hard-hitting campaign has already created a lot of chatter since its March 15th media launch - and it's been extraordinarily positive – with impressive increases in calls to the 1-800-QUIT-NOW phone number, and visits to http://www.smokefree.gov.

The "Tips From Former Smokers" campaign serves as an important counter to the nearly $10 billion spent annually by the tobacco industry to make its products more attractive and more available—particularly to youth and young adults.

Real people from across the United States were selected to appear in the ads, and to tell their own personal stories of living with the effects of smoking. The powerful work produced by PlowShare's creative partner, Arnold Worldwide-Boston, makes everyone in a room stop and take notice of just how devastating the effects of tobacco can be. Perhaps this is why the campaign has garnered so much interest.

PlowShare has noticed the encouraging impact through emails, social media comments, and 'word on the street' anecdotes. The cast members' compelling stories really hit home for some viewers of the ad campaign, as they have seen what has happened to their own family members, friends, or themselves.

In addition to TV and radio, the 12-week paid campaign includes creative rotations in print, online, OOH, and mobile. Supplementary outreach efforts include placements on a Times Square digital billboard, in-bar/restaurants, cinema, and elevator screens.

The DC Ad Club presented its 2012 ADDY® Awards, recognizing advertising creative excellence, to a sold out crowd on Thursday, March 15, at the Almas Temple, Washington, DC. The reception and awards presentation was attended by about 400 area advertising and media professionals.

This year's theme took on a sporty look and was called "Participate!" Invitations to the event included 'winners' ribbons that everyone can remember receiving from their youth just for showing up and, well, participating.  Given enough imagination, Almas Temple was decorated to resemble a gymnasium without the sweaty musk - pennants hanging from the upper level floor, excitement, caterers wearing referee shirts, loud cheers, remote controlled blimps, jock rock, cheerleaders, and even foam fingers donated by PlowShare.  An added bonus was the emcee of the evening, voice of the NHL's Washington Capitals, Wes Anderson, whose game night enthusiasm gave the festivities slapstick appeal.  Attendees were also encouraged to place ribbons on the best creative ads before the 'Fan Favorite' award was presented later in the evening and leading up to the Best of Show award.

The DC Ad Club received 795 entries from 87 agencies, design firms, in-house marketing departments, freelancers, interactive firms, production companies, PR firms, and students. This represents an 18 percent increase over the number of entries in 2011. A panel of 10 judges-general market and interactive-was convened to review and score the entries based on creativity, originality and creative strategy. Winning entries were honored with a total of 111 Gold ADDY® Awards, 114 Silver ADDY® Awards, and 8 Student ADDY® Awards, along with Best of Category and Best of Show Awards.

ALEXANDRIA, VA — February 2012

After two years of searching for just the right space, we got very lucky and found a perfect little gem that with a little TLC and a visionary architect, is now our happy home.

The second floor office was gutted and reconstructed to give a presence of an old farm barn with reclaimed wood used as flooring and as wall accents, complemented with existing exposed brick walls throughout, and sliding wood panel doors that can be moved along the length of the office. For fun, a small portion of drywall was painted to be used as a chalkboard; this sure will be used for client greetings and inspirational quotes.

We hope that if you are in the Old Town Alexandria area that you stop by to say hello and have a seat in our comfy red lounge chairs for a chat and a cuppa joe!

Since February the launch of the "Make the Call. Don't Miss a Beat." campaign has earned millions of dollars in donated media from TV, OOH, and print.

STAMFORD, CT — September 2011

If you have heard the radio spots we created for the campaign, you may have felt the need to dance:

Three things we learned in August.

August, for some of us, had been an exciting time.
Through the month we came to learn a few things
that we believe is noteworthy.

Beach Towels; text4baby campaign;
Lori Mosca Honored; AMA/AMAF Conference.

Plowshare is keeping busy this summer.

PSG Creates First Mobile App
for Tracking PSAs

Enables clients to capture PSA trending data on phone.

Wounded Warrior Project & PlowShare Group Launch PSAs to Raise Awareness & Enlist Aid
for Injured Service Members

Academy Award Winning Actor Kevin Costner Lends Voice to Campaign

STAMFORD, CT — February 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/

Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), in partnership with PlowShare Group, has launched a series of new public service advertisements aimed at raising awareness and enlisting support for the needs of injured service members of the nation's military. Over 40,000 members of our nation's armed forces have been physically wounded during the current military conflicts.

Hundreds of thousands more are estimated to be recovering from invisible wounds of war, including post-traumatic stress disorder, major depression and traumatic brain injury (TBI). WWP assists wounded warriors and their families through a holistic approach to their recovery. Whether through caregiver retreats, combat stress programs, career and education services, or adaptive sporting opportunities, WWP empowers warriors with the tools essential to not just survive their injuries but to thrive and achieve personal and professional success.

See All Campaign Assets Here > | Visit More PSG Creative Here >

PlowShare Group Survey Reveals Beta
Remains Preferred Format Among Nation's Public Service Advertising Directors

The PlowShare Group Releases the Results of Its Public Service Directors Survey

STAMFORD, CT – January 27, 2011

The PlowShare Group released the results of its Public Service Directors Survey, revealing that in spite of numerous digital downloading options, Beta tape remains the preferred format for receiving public service ads (PSAs). However, with 62% of respondents citing "occasionally" or "frequently" downloading PSAs, it's clear that a shift toward tapeless formats is in progress. The new survey was developed as a follow-up to a 2009 poll conducted to determine how prepared stations were to accept and air PSAs in digital H.264 format. The objectives of the recent survey were to: 1) Identify each station's preferred PSA format(s), in order to observe any shift in preference; 2) Determine how stations that digitally download PSAs prefer to receive materials, and 3) Identify any deterrents to downloading PSAs.

US Department of Health & Human Services Office on Women's Health Selects The PlowShare Group

Campaign to Raise Awareness of Heart Attack Symptoms in Women and the Importance of Phoning 9-1-1

STAMFORD, CT – October 13, 2009

The PlowShare Group today announced that it has been awarded a contract from the US Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) to develop a comprehensive awareness and behavior change campaign to raise awareness of heart attack symptoms in women and the importance of phoning 9-1-1 for help.

PlowShare's PSAs Depict Seven
Symptoms of a Woman's Heart Attack

The US Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health has partnered with PlowShare to create a campaign that will raise awareness of women's heart attack symptoms and the importance of calling 9-1-1 to seek immediate medical attention. Launched in February, National Heart Month, the "Make the Call. Don't Miss a Beat" public service campaign includes television, radio, billboard, posters, print and a social media campaign.

See All Campaign Assets Here > | Visit More PSG Creative Here >

PlowShare Client TV Campaigns Record a
Record-Breaking 34,000 Cumulative
TV PSA Airings in a Single Week

HHS Highlights "Make the Call. Don't Miss a Beat" Heart Attack Awareness Campaign at the "Million Women Heart Summit"

PlowShare client co-sponsored Events of the Heart's "Million Women's Heart Summit" on April 6, 2011

Members of the PlowShare team traveled to New York City to watch Suzanne Haynes, PhD, HHS, present the significance of the "Make the Call. Don't Miss a Beat" heart attack awareness campaign. Haynes was one of many advocates who participated in hopes of getting one million women screened for heart disease.

Held at fashion designer/philanthropist Donna Karen's Urban Zen Center, the event included actress Brenda Strong, cardiologist Dr. Lori Mosca and others from the technology, fashion, medical and entertainment industries, who shared stories of heart disease.

Visit More PSG Creative Here >

PlowShare Clients HHS and CARE Take Advantage of High Visibility and Impact of Times Square's Largest Digital Screen

STAMFORD, CT – April 14, 2011

As part of its growing commitment to provide PSA clients with "landmark" media opportunities, PlowShare Group has secured the commitment of Times Square's largest digital screen to air clients' TV PSAs. These placements are opportunistic and event driven and provide a select, highly visible but targeted media opportunity. It's fun for clients to see their campaigns among the lights and crowds of Times Square.

More About PSG PSA Distribution Here >

The DC Ad Club Presents 2011 ADDY® Awards, Recognizing Advertising Creative Excellence

PlowShare Group's Wendy Moniz Co-Hosts

The DC Ad Club presented its 2011 ADDY® Awards, recognizing advertising creative excellence, on Tuesday, March 15, at the Almas Temple, Washington, DC. The theme of the evening's celebration was the Festival of St. Bernardine, the patron saint of advertising and public relations. The annual award show kicked off with a witty monologue by host and emissary of St. Bernardine, Father Guido Sarducci. In keeping with this year's theme, PlowShare sponsored the event as a "Hallowed Benefactor," and Wendy Moniz served as co-chair of the event, which was attended by over 350 area advertising and media professionals.

PlowShare Has Been Selected to Support
ASPCA's PSA Media Outreach Efforts

STAMFORD, CT – April 22, 2011

PlowShare Group is proud to be part of the ASPCA communications family. We will be providing the animal rights organization with critical support services in the development of their PSA media outreach efforts. Our goals are simply to encourage the media to utilize the ASPCA's messages of help and hope surrounding animal care and well-being.