Posted on: Thursday, July 31, 2003

Nonprofit sought for free ad campaign

By Dan Nakaso
Advertiser Staff Writer

An organization that has won a national public service award two years in a row for working with Honolulu nonprofit organizations is looking for another group to feature in its annual free, year-long media campaign.

Ad2 Honolulu, a group of marketing, advertising and public relations executives under age 32, has won the American Advertising Federation's public service award two years in a row.

In June, Ad2 Honolulu won for its work with groups under Aloha United Way that help mentally retarded people, said Sean Morris, co-president of Ad2 Honolulu.

Last year, Ad2 Honolulu's campaign focused on Hale Kipa and its program that reunites troubled teens with their families.

Each year, Ad2 Honolulu organizes various people from print, broadcast and advertising specialties for campaigns that are worth an estimated $1 million — but are free to the nonprofit groups that are profiled, Morris said.

"Each year we select a nonprofit charity that doesn't have the resources to advertise or market themselves," Morris said. "We help them create awareness and help them track the results."

Ad2 Honolulu typically gets requests from three to four dozen different groups but decided to publicly seek new organizations this year.

"We want to give everybody a fair chance," Morris said. "New ones might not know where to start and our overall goal is to help the community."

The deadline for submissions is Aug. 8.

For more information, call Dana Lehman at 792-0248 or e-mail dlehman@honpub.com.