ANA launches campaign against online hate from Ogilvy, backed by Google, Meta and others

The ANA is launching its “Engage Responsibly” advertising and education campaign against online hate with a video from WPP’s Ogilvy following the story of an LGBTQ+ person bullied on social media. The effort follows a pilot launched last year, including a sustained campaign of 6- and 15-second social video ads, with media handled by Publicis Collective, which like other partners is working pro bono. Media has been donated by Google, Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, Snap, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and Hearst. The story in the anthem video is about a person individually targeted for abuse. He is shown using a social media platform where he comes out as LGBTQ+ and then meets someone virtually. It turns out the person he met is not real—it was a setup used for people to ridicule him. The platform shown is generic, or not easily identifiable as one used in real life. The video does not get into issues of how algorithms can amplify divisive rhetoric to drive traffic—a risk for which a Pinterest executive called out social media platforms in an ANA Masters of Marketing presentation last week. All Engage Responsibly campaign ads and content drive visitors to engageresponsibly.org for additional information, educational videos and resources, which includes an Engage Responsibly Brand Activation Kit where brands and small businesses can find and use educational programs and other support assets from the group. The materials and assets are designed to educate consumers and small- to medium-size businesses about online hate and tools to help eliminate it. “The fight against online hate is not just about technology; it’s about preserving our essential human connection,” said Ann Mukherjee, Pernod Ricard North America chairwoman-CEO and Engage Responsibly chairwoman, in a statement. “In a digital world that can sometimes feel disconnected, we believe it's vital to remember that every online interaction represents a real person on the other side of the screen. This new campaign reminds us all of the power of empathy, kindness, and understanding in our virtual spaces, and how vital it is that all of us work to keep these ecosystems safe.” The board of Engage Responsibly, which has been set up as a separate nonprofit, also includes marketers from Walmart, AT&T, Shell, L’Oreal and DoubleVerify, with additional companies to be announced through next year. Check out the latest Ad Age events and award programs “Our assets are valuable tools that have been developed in consultation with our many partners, especially the Better Business Bureau, and we urge consumers and SMBs to immediately take advantage of them,” said Engage Responsibly President and ANA Group Exec VP Bill Tucker in a statement. Media measurement blog Tracking TV, social and digital updates Click here

ANA launches campaign against online hate from Ogilvy, backed by Google, Meta and others

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