Senate Bill Could Rework ONDCP Ad Campaign November 14, 2003
News Summary
A bill introduced in the U.S. Senate would remove the ad agency Ogilvy & Mather from the White House's anti-drug media campaign and force the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to share control over the project with the Partnership for a Drug-Free America (PDFA), Ad Week reported Nov. 10.The bill, which is sponsored by Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Del.), Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), reflects deep dissatisfaction with a campaign that has shown mixed results. "This bill reflects a concern about how the program has been managed in the past," one congressional source said.
Lawmakers are upset that Ogilvy & Mather was awarded the contract for the ad campaign again after the agency settled civil charges over its billing practices. In addition, lawmakers are displeased with the public feuding over creative control between the ONDCP and PDFA.
Under the Senate bill, an agency would be hired to handle the media aspect of the campaign, while the PDFA would handle the creative end.
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