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The YWCA USA will launch a national advertising campaign today that drives home a bold new message reinforcing the 147-year-old organization's new brand and its mission of eliminating racism and empowering women.

Through a media partnership with Viacom Plus, Viacom's cross-platform sales and marketing group, the YWCA will target young adults ages 18-34 with its hard-hitting message on MTV, MTV2 and BET-networks that reach young adults.  The message also will be delivered online at MTV.com and BET.com. Viacom also published an eight-page custom magazine that will be distributed nationally to YWCA supporters and locally through the YWCA's nearly 300 local associations.

Highlighting the campaign are two television spots that magnify major issues still facing society today: behavior that causes inequities and prejudice against women and people of color.  (To view the spots, visit http://www.ywca.org Media Center or http://www.bozelljacobs.net/ywus/media.html.)  The message also is being delivered online at mtv.com (http://www.mtv.com/music/firstladies) and bet.com.

"Unspoken," a 30-second spot, depicts the many subtle ways that racism occurs in everyday situations, from a man shunning another of a different race as they enter their identical apartments to a Native American child sitting alone as an outcast while other children play around him on a playground. "Little Girls," also a 30-second ad, demonstrates the blatant ways that women and girls are routinely devalued in today's society.  This spot uses harsh music lyrics as a metaphor for the underlying opinions and attitudes that are still commonly accepted. Visually, the spot celebrates the enthusiasm, innocence and spontaneity of little girls, while the soundtrack emits jarringly derogatory rock, rap, hip-hop, pop and country music lyrics.

"The goal of this campaign is to not only raise awareness about the continuing problem of racism and the oppression of women, but to cause people to stop and evaluate their own personal attitudes and behaviors," YWCA CEO Peggy Sanchez Mills said. "We want people to understand that the YWCA is an organization firmly linked to these issues and call on them to join us in our mission."

The advertising campaign was created by Bozell & Jacobs.  Critically acclaimed director Bronwen Hughes ("Stander," "Forces of Nature") directed both TV spots.

For more information, visit the YWCA Web site, http://www.ywca.org .