U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez Unveils National Cam

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U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez Unveils National Campaign to Inspire Invention in Children


The Advertising Council joined with the Department ofCommerces United States Patent and Trademark Office USPTO andthe National Inventors Hall of Fame Foundation NIHFF today tolaunch a national, multimedia public service advertising PSAcampaign to engage a new generation of children in innovation.The campaign seeks to make inventing and developing new ideas part of American childrens lives.

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez unveiled the campaign at the National Press Club.

For generations, the United States has been a recognizedglobal leader in technology and innovation. While the countryrepresents only 5 percent of the world's population, itaccounts for nearly one third of the worlds science andengineering researchers and 40 percent of all research anddevelopment, according to the Council on Competitiveness.However, with increased economic competition globally, itswidely recognized that the United States must take steps nowto maintain its leadership. In particular, America must ensure we inspire future generations of innovators.

The new Inspiring Invention campaign, created in conjunctionwith ad agency Publicis & Hal Riney in San Francisco, aims toinspire children specifically the tweens, ages 8 to 11 torecognize how their imaginations can lead to the technologicaladvances of the future. The campaign communicates that thereis a role for every kind of unique curiosity and imaginativeidea as it relates to invention. Ultimately, the goal is tomotivate children to pursue inventing and innovating as part of their educations and, later, in their careers.

Secretary Gutierrez said, In an innovation driven economy, thekey to our future success and competitiveness lies in makingsure we are sharing Americas culture of innovation with ouryoung people. In doing so, we will prepare them to competemore effectively in the global marketplace and ensure that the United States maintains our global economic leadership.

Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property andDirector of the USPTO Jon Dudas added, We see the InspiringInvention campaign as a wonderful opportunity to show kids howfun and rewarding it can be to create. We hope that childrenwho watch these ads will want to become more inventive;explore math, science and other creative fields; and thenshare their new ideas to continue Americas legacy of innovation.

Developed with extensive research with inventors and children,the campaign includes new television, radio, outdoor and Webadvertising that feature ordinary children creating inventionsto solve everyday problems. The PSAs communicate to childrenthat anything is possible and encourage them to keep thinking.The ads direct audiences to visit a new comprehensive website,www.InventNow.org, to explore and discover their own innateinventiveness and curiosity. Designed by VPI VisualPerspectives Internet, the site features interactive games andallows children to explore their inventive interests in space, sports, design and entertainment.

Research conducted for our new campaign found that childrenare naturally curious and inventive, but they do not realizethe impact of their creativity, according to Peggy Conlon,President & CEO of the Ad Council. We are proud to join withthe United States Patent and Trademark Office and the NationalInventors Hall of Fame Foundation on this wonderful effort tohelp children see that there are no limits to their creativityand imagination and that they can have a role in thetechnological advances of our future if they just keep thinking.

The Inspiring Invention campaign is one of several educationalinitiatives in which the National Inventors Hall of FameFoundation and the United States Patent and Trademark Officepartner to encourage children to think inventively. Amongthese initiatives are the National Inventors Hall of FamesCamp Invention and Club Invention programs, which aresupported by the USPTO. Camp Invention, now in its 17th year,is a summer day camp that fosters creativity and inventivethinking skills that allow children to learn through hands onactivities, subject immersion and discovery. In 2007, morethan 60,000 students will attend Camp Invention in 47 states.Club Invention is an after school program directed by the Hallof Fame that extends scientific inquiry based education to after school sites.

National Inventors Hall of Fame Inductee and inventor of themodern microphone Dr. James West said, This campaign relatesdirectly to our mission of inspiring invention and creativity.Its a prime opportunity for us to capture the attention ofchildren and share with them the wonders of science andtechnology, inspiring them enough to become involved in lifeong endeavors in these fields. Our future, and theirs, will be much richer because of it.

We are honored to have been chosen to create a campaign withthe important objective of engaging a generation of kids tomake innovation and creativity an integral part of theirlives, said Karen Francis, CEO at Publicis & Hal Riney. Thework shows real kids creating and building incrediblyinnovative solutions to their problems. We hope that thiscampaign will help kids realize that they have the power and imagination to invent something totally new.

The PSAs are being distributed to 28,000 media stationsnationwide this week. Per the Ad Councils donated media model,all of the new PSAs will air and run in advertising time and space donated by the media.

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