TODAY Takes Action! - AdLibbing-Ellyn Fisher

Last week our series quotToday Takes Actionquot kicked off on The Today Show I just got back from 30 Rock where Peggy Conlon our presidentCEO appeared on the show to make the big announcement It was great fun but only one of many highlights throughout this journey getting the series off the groundI remember the day it all got started like it was yesterday It was a busy day this past September when my phone rang in the early afternoon I saw all of the 4s on my caller ID and recognized that it was NBCamp8230but thought it might be an NBC affiliate that wanted our PSAs In fact it was a producer from TODAY named Robin Sindler who said she had an ideaEach of TODAY39s anchors Matt Al Savannah and Natalie would adopt a campaign from our 50 that was close to their hearts They would star in new PSAs which would debut during a weeklong series that would give viewers indepth look at four social issues and a behindthescenes look at the quotmaking ofquot the PSAs It was one of those unbelievable rare moments where I thought I might be dreaming I tried to play it cool and say something like amp8211 quotI think we would be open to thatquotThroughout the next 3 months I got the chance to join inperson meetings with our volunteer ad agencies and TODAY39s anchors to brainstorm various creative ideas for the PSAsamp8230attend all of the shootsamp8230and see it all come together from rough cut to the final finished PSAsDon39t get me wrong it wasn39t all just funamp8230there were more than a few challengesamp8230finding incremental money from our partners for this amazing opportunityamp8230coordinating meetingsshoots for TODAY39s anchors who have insane schedules and our ad agencies conveniently none were based in NYCamp8230setting up PSA shoots outside in winter weatheramp8230getting so many agenciescampaign sponsorspeople to agree on the best strategy etcBut I did learn a LOT in the process FYI I39ve been at the Ad Council for over 10 years in the PRsocial media group but I usually don39t get to see the quotmaking ofquot aspect of the PSAs I learnedamp8230amp8230Some hysterically funny and oftentimes embarrassing ideas get tossed around in those agency strategy meetings where TODAY39s anchors participatedamp8230Those anchors have incredible stamina amp8211 after a 3 am wakeup they joined us for 8 hour shootsamp8212many of which involved serious physical activityamp8230 Just like with the movies filming just one second of a TV spot can take hours upon hoursamp8230Those food services trucks at the shoots provide an endless array of goodies which help you add the winter weight very quicklyamp8230TODAY39s anchors have a great sense of humor and enormous strength and flexibility amp8211 Savannah lifts tables I was in awe of Natalie39s workout routine And Matt can fit himself into the smallest and best hiding placesamp8230Al is both water and weatherproofamp8230There is a dog trainer out there who really is quota dog whispererquot and Natalie39s dog Zara sounds a lot like Jenna Elfmanamp8230Al rides his bike around the city to meetingsamp8230Our ad agencies and TODAY39s anchors have a true and genuine commitment and passion for the issues addressed by the new PSAsamp8230And lastly that it39s incredibly rewarding to work on a project like this both personally and professionallyA special thanks to all of the ad agencies Campbell Ewald Leo Burnett Cutwater and Draftfcb for their quick and brilliant thinkingamp8230and to all of our partners who made this process such a fun collaboration HHS FEMA Feeding America the Humane Society of the US and Maddie39s FundThe first PSA was unveiled this morning amp8211 it39s Matt Lauer on behalf of our Fatherhood Involvement campaign TODAY aired a poignant setup which really shows the impact dads can have on kids39 lives by just putting in the timeTune in every day this week through Thursday to watch more of these segmentsAnd check back at Adlibbing every day for coverage of the series including posts from our ad agencies and campaign partners who worked on the PSAsYou can also follow the hashtag TODAYTakesAction to join the conversation and visit TODAY39s website to learn more watch the PSAs and read QampampAs with the anchorsEllyn FisherEllyn covers the intersection of PR new media and social good chronicling emerging tactics ampamp best practices She has over 10 years of experience in PR and currently volunteers for both the American Cancer Society and the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition Ellyn can be reached at efisheradcouncilorgRead all Ad Libbing39s MediaBizBloggers commentaries at Ad LibbingCheck us out on Facebook at MediaBizBloggerscomFollow our Twitter updates MediaBizBloggerThe opinions and points of view expressed in this commentary are exclusively the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaBizBloggerscom management or associated bloggers MediaBizBloggers is an open thought leadership platform and readers may share their comments and opinions in 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