The Government has drafted in Saatchi & Saatchi to promote a new
national body aimed at creating volunteer jobs for the over-50s.
The Charlotte Street agency won the creative assignment after a pitch
orchestrated by the AAR.
Media buying arrangements have yet to be decided.
Tony Blair launched the National Experience Corps in the run-up to this
year's general election. It will enable people aged over 50 to work with
church-based and other voluntary groups and will be backed by £19
million of funding over the next three years.
Baroness Sally Greengross, the former head of Age Concern, is leading
the organisation, which forms part of a £300 million government
initiative announced by the chancellor, Gordon Brown, to publicise
opportunities for voluntary work.
Saatchis' brief is to produce a campaign that will persuade mature
people to pass on their skills and experience to others. They are seen
as being of particular help in advising young parents on bringing up
children.
The Experience Corps has said it wants to develop a distinctive brand
for itself that clearly emphasises its goals. Its advertising strategy
will concentrate on magazines aimed at readers in the over-50s
bracket.
The organisation is a manifestation of the prime minister's intention to
put moral values squarely at the heart of the Government's policy.
He has consistently called for religious charities and organisations to
become partners of the Government in promoting health and welfare
provision.
He believes that the Labour Party has previously been too suspicious of
enlisting the help of such groups.