United Way Unveils Shock Ads

PHILADELPHIA (AP) â€” A young girl shrieks into a telephone receiver, telling a 911 operator that her father is hurting her mother. <br><br>A police officer grills a suspect about a child's injuries,

Friday, January 5th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

PHILADELPHIA (AP) â€” A young girl shrieks into a telephone receiver, telling a 911 operator that her father is hurting her mother.

A police officer grills a suspect about a child's injuries, while X-rays of a toddler's broken bones flash on a screen.

A homeless man describes life on Philadelphia streets.

These graphic scenes are part of a $1.5 million advertising campaign launched Thursday by the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania. By featuring actual clients â€” rather than celebrities â€” the organization hopes to open potential donors' hearts and wallets and overcome a five-year fund-raising slump.

``What this does is hold you emotionally hostage until you get involved â€” either by giving or by getting involved,'' said Rick Ender, managing partner of the Star Group advertising agency that created the television, radio and newspaper spots.

The local ads are a departure from United Way of America's national campaign, which depicts NFL heroes and smiling kids. They come as the charity struggles to adapt to a new economy, where it can no longer depend on raising 80 percent of its revenues through corporations and their employees.

Today, more people are retiring early, working for small companies or working from home, said Christine James-Brown, president of the southeastern Pennsylvania chapter.

``The corporate world has changed so dramatically. We have to do things differently,'' she said.

The area United Way raised $54 million last year. However, the percentage of people who donated within each company continued to fall, she said.

The goal of the new ads is to remind people of the social problems tackled by United Way.

``A lot of what we have to do is establish that emotional bond with the individual donor,'' James-Brown said.

â€”â€”â€”

On the Net:

United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania: http://www.uwsepa.org/