1 3 Advertising for good causes And raising money for charity orty years ago, the advertising establishment in the United States set F up the Advertising Council to provide free campaigns for US Savings Bonds, the Red Cross and other good causes. In 1979, the media gave $600,000,000 worth of free time and space to the Council’s campaigns, and the agencies charged nothing for their services. In 1980, the Council’s campaign to encourage co-operation with the Census received $38,000,000 worth of free time and space. This admirable system has one drawback: the success of each campaign depends on the generosity of the media, which cannot be predicted. The system in Britain is more controllable: the government provides the money. Here are six examples of advertising for good causes. World Wildlife Fund During a period of five years, Ogilvy & Mather begged $6,500,000 worth of free advertising from media for the World Wildlife Fund – in 16 countries. New York Philharmonic In 1957 the New York Philharmonic was low in the water. The musicians were demoralized, playing to half-empty houses. My simple solution was to buy a page in the New York Times and publish the complete schedule for the coming season, in advance. Years later, someone who was in a position to know told me that this had done as much as Leonard Bernstein to put the Philharmonic back on its feet.