Great Schools TV Ads Begin Statewide in April

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While the grassroots work of Great Schools continues in school districts throughout the state, the effort is being bolstered by a major statewide media campaign this spring and summer.

Great Schools television ads began April 10 and are being broadcast in every media market in the state. The ads will run so frequently that, by the time the campaign concludes at the end of July, the average targeted adult will have seen the ads 55 to 60 times.

“WEAC has made Great Schools a major priority, and the extent of this television advertising campaign reflects that,” said WEAC Executive Director Michael Butera.

Four 30-second TV ads were being prepared. They incorporate messages in support of smaller class sizes, the teaching of job skills, the teaching of values, increased accountability, better discipline, better teacher training programs, and greater technical education and vocational training.

While including a focus on these more narrow issues, each ad carries a tag line that promotes the broader Great Schools campaign message: “We’re starting to talk about what it takes to make schools great. If you haven’t already joined the conversation, please join now ... because every kid deserves a great school.”

The ads refer viewers to OnWEAC for more information. There, they will find a link to a new page that provides more information on Great Schools and offers opportunities to contribute to the discussion of what makes schools great.

“The key to the success of Great Schools is for parents, community leaders and interested citizens to join educators in community discussions about what it takes to maintain and improve upon the high quality of education we have in this state,” said WEAC President Terry Craney. “The purpose of these ads is to draw people’s attention to Great Schools and provide an opportunity to engage in these important dialogues. We want every citizen to be aware of Great Schools and have the opportunity to participate.”

The ads are being developed by the WEAC Communications Division and Visuality Media Productions of Madison.

The ads will run on 20 TV stations in Wisconsin and on cable in western areas of the state that fall in out-of-state television markets. The ads will run during a wide variety of programming, including some of the highest-rated prime-time shows such as news magazines like 20/20, 60 Minutes and 48 Hours and popular and critically acclaimed shows like ER, West Wing, Judging Amy, and many others.

In addition, they will run during early morning news and talk shows, evening news and late news programs, syndicated comedy shows, game shows, late night talk programs, and others.

In addition to the TV ads, as many as 12 radio ads – expanding on the TV ad messages – will run on from May through August. The radio buys will be especially heavy in Milwaukee and in areas that are outside of major TV markets.

The Great Schools Web site

Posted March 22, 2000