The Caring Outreach used the persuasive power of TV ads to advance pro-life views from 2000 to 2008 in the Chicago media market.
The
thirty-second ad called 85
Days, producedby the Veritas Society, was on the air in the Chicago /Northern Indiana media market in October and early November, 2008.
Three hundred spots were placed on cable stations throughout our seventeen county Chicago media area. This ad focused on the use of dynamic pictures of the unborn baby in the womb in the first 85
Days of life.
Clear images of the hands, feet, and face in the first month or two of life gave millions of viewers throughout our metropolitan area an opportunity to “see” the
baby in the womb of his or her mother. The image of the baby’s beating heart made a tremendous impact.
Vitae Caring Foundation ad "Life Saver" used in 2004
and again in 2005
At the scene of a fire, a young female firefighter rescues a small child
and returns her to distraught, but now grateful parents. She speaks to the
camera, saying...
"Being alive today has special meaning ...for both of us.
There have been times that I almost didn't make it. But the one time I had
the most to lose was before I was even born. My mom was young. Single. No
money. I'm sure it wasn't easy for her to give me a chance. But I know today
she'd be very proud-that her decision saved more than one life."
In January of 2004, The Caring
Outreach launched another television media effort in the Chicago area. Two
messages ran a total of 470 times on all network stations in the Chicago
media market.
These pro-life messages, "LifeSaver" and "Sonogram" were placed on programs
watched primarily by women 18 to 49 years of age - shows like Days of our
Lives, Oprah, Dr. Phil, The Early Show, The Today Show, and a number of local
news shows (all non-prime spots).
Stations WGN, WMAQ/NBC, WBBM/CBS, WFLD/FOX and WCIU accepted and ran both
commercials as requested. Only WLS/ABC (Channel 7) refused to run "Sonogram," although
they did accept and run "LifeSaver." Our time buyer informed us that this
was the first time that ABC accepted any pro-life message for their national
network stations!
Each and every one of our commercials end with a national pro-life hotline
phone number, 1 800-395-HELP to encourage those needing pregnancy assistance
to call for help. That number is answered 24/7 by an experienced operator
who is able to offer information and/or referrals to local pro-life alternative
agencies as needed.
Post-polling revealed that we were successful in moving women in particular
to a more pro-life position.
See the post-polling results
here (PDF).
Vitae Caring Foundation ad, "Sonogram" used
in 2004
The "Sonogram" TV ad opens with a woman watching as her daughter has an
ultrasound examination of her unborn baby. The older woman says:
"Back when I decided I was pro-choice my daughter was just an infant.
The internet was unheard of and today's medical wonders were unimaginable.
We now know an unborn baby's heart beats at 21 days and they can measure
brain waves just nineteen days later. Abortion was legalized about thirty
years ago. You can learn a lot in thirty years. What I've learned makes
me wonder - wonder if abortion really is such an acceptable solution any
more"
Once again, post-polling indicated that we were successful in moving women
to a more pro-life position.
In 2005, The Caring Outreach
placed 68 "LifeSaver" messages on Chicago network television once again.
Polling results for the "LifeSaver" ad in 2004 and in other parts of
the country encouraged its continued use. Once again the CareNet national
hotline number was placed at the end of the ad. Our three TV campaigns brought
a total of 830 pro-life messages to millions of people in our seventeen-county
media market area. Our commercials are run on network television during non-prime
time slots. They have effectively reached those who would never hear the
pro-life perspective in any other way. 
In 2004, the "LifeSaver" (Vitae / Caring Foundation Ad) was used.
In 2000, The Caring Outreach brought pro-life commercials
to Chicago network television for when we used a “Call-for-Help” television
commercial
( the Vitae / Caring Foundation) on Chicago
network stations 292 times for seven weeks in February and March.
This ad was designed specifically to encourage women in
need of pregnancy assistance to call for information and help. As with all
our television messages, it listed the national
1-800-395-HELP CareNet number.
CareNet reported that this Illinois campaign generated over
2000 calls to their national hotline number during that time period and we
know of a number of babies saved. This message demonstrated of the care and
compassion pro-lifers have for both women and babies.
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